Struggling Through New Beginnings Mature
by HarryPGinnyW4eva
Summary: This is a story of longing, desire, friendship, and ultimately, of love. Just not with the expected. AU & Spoilers MATURE VERSION
1. Chapter 1

**Struggling Through New Beginnings (Mature)**

**By: HarryGinny4eva**

**Author's Introduction**: Hello. Some of you may have already read this story in the T section, so no it's **NOT** the sequel. I had several readers, who couldn't get on adult ffnet, ask me to post the M version here as well, and I decided to do so for them. For those interested, I am working feverishly on the sequel. Also, there are no other changes, I just put a few chapters together, so it looks shorter to those who have read it. For any new readers, please note:

1) As always, many thanks to J.K. Rowling for her wonderful literary works. They are hers and hers alone. I have only borrowed her characters for a while and built my own little fantasy around them. There is no pay involved for me in doing it.

2) I have not stayed true to the later books in many cases. There will be **SPOILERS** from the last books, but I have changed some events to suit the story and my own sense of depression. Yes, I miss Dumbledore terribly, don't think Snape should have died, and hate that after all he did, Percy lived and not Fred. I have fixed those things. And, if I just ruined things for you, I am very, very sorry.

3) I thank all of you who give this story a chance.

Thank you all again!

HG4eva

**Chapter 1  
**  
_This, while a love story about Draco and Hermione, is, at least in part, the story of Pansy Parkinson. Not much is known about her, as no one has ever bothered to ask her opinion on anything other than robe colors. Everything about her life has been expected; her schooling, her beliefs, her house, her friends, her choices, her love life, her future. It has always been expected that she would be the person she was, with the people that were chosen for her, and end up as her parents had so carefully planned. But, with the death of the Dark Lord, the changing of her own loyalties, the return to school for her 7__th__ year, and her upcoming 18__th__ birthday and subsequent engagement to Draco Malfoy, Pansy decides to set some expectations of her own._

This is a story of longing, desire, friendship, and ultimately, of love. Just not with the expected.  


xxxxxx

Pansy Parkinson sat back in her seat and glanced around the Great Hall; her brain humming with all the thoughts in her head. There were, of course, the obvious changes, but so much had happened in the past year that practically everything looked new to her. Before the war she had never noticed the beautiful stones that made up the floor or the workmanship it must have taken to get them 'just so.' She hadn't taken the time to think on the amount of work the house elves did to make her life what it had become. It had never occurred to her that something as simple as smaller tables and sitting with new people could make a meal feel so differently. With a heavy sigh she took a sip of her water and slumped in her seat, her head on her fist.

To those around her, her dark blue eyes appeared bored, her impish features haughty. Her dark, almost black hair, had grown out and was now pulled back into a ponytail, and each flick of her head sent it sliding across her narrow back. The only thing about her that people saw as different was that she no longer held her small body so stiffly. She looked to them to be bored, but relaxed; something most had never seen. And, many wondered about the presence of the girl who had tried to hand Harry over to Voldemort.

"Cogle, Barkley," Professor McGonagall called out.

"Looks like a Hufflepuff to me," she murmured to herself as she watched the new Headmistress place the Sorting Hat on the child's head.

"Hey!" a voice snarled behind her.

Pansy turned in her seat to see Megan Jones, a 7th year Hufflepuff glaring at her.

With a sigh and a quick look of regret, Pansy muttered, "Sorry," and turned back to watch the rest of the sorting. She missed the looks of wonder and interest thrown her way from the rest of the table at her apology. None thought her capable of it and several wondered what was wrong with her.

"Hufflepuff!" the hat shouted. Albus Dumbledore nodded at the child and he ran to join a table where a chair glowed brightly for him. Megan sucked her teeth at Pansy's being right, and Pansy simply smiled to herself and took another sip of her water.

The reappearance of Professor Dumbledore had shocked almost everyone in the room. Most of the students and teachers present had attended his funeral and mourned his loss; had feared the future of Hogwarts without him to lead it. The entire student body still awaited an explanation. Pansy found herself smiling up at him, his presence providing her with a comfort she had never acknowledged before then. Next to him sat a pale, frail-looking Severus Snape; another shock for the room of students and teachers. Pansy made eye contact with her Head of House and smiled in greeting as he nodded a bit at her.

As the students continued to be sorted, Pansy got lost in her memories of her re-entry into the newly restored Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

xxxxxx

The only students allowed back into the school that year where those who had shown no loyalty to the Dark Lord, or who had, during the war, changed their loyalties and could prove it. Others, like herself, were allowed back only after extensive rehabilitation with Ministry professionals. There had been many interviews for the children and their parents with Ministry and school officials, some involving Veritaserum, to decide who would be accepted and who would have to find other means of schooling. The returning 6th and 7th year classes were noticeably smaller, but the other years seem to have doubled, as parents removed students from Durmstrang Academy and begged their entry into Hogwarts. The past year's 6th year students were now in their 7th year, but had to share it with the returning students from Harry Potter's class.

The train ride on the Hogwart's Express should have given all of them some idea that things were not going to go as they had in the past. There had been no separate small compartments, but instead each train car had been a complete compartment resembling the London Underground cars, but longer and a fair bit wider. The students had at first tried to find their peers and sit in the cars by house, but soon realized each car only allowed a certain number from each house and once you entered the car you couldn't leave again. The new, huge class of first year students were forced into one car at the front of the train, regardless of their high numbers.

Pansy, after saying a subdued goodbye to her parents, had entered the train through her normal door, hoping to find some place to sit alone before having to face her supposed friends and classmates for the first time since that fateful day. Instead, she found herself in the same train car as Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom. She noticed the changes to the train car and immediately started to back out, only to be stopped by some invisible force that wouldn't let her retreat. In a mild panic she had glanced around for anyone from her house and found Millicent Bulstrode, Theodore Nott, and Blaise Zabini huddled at the far end of the car.

Pansy heaved a sigh of relief, mixed with a touch of dread. Theo always made her feel stupid and insignificant with his bookish appearance, sharp green eyes, and cutting words and tone. Millicent was simply mean; not just to those from other houses, but to everyone. Her acid-tipped tongue could wound with words even more than her dark eyes could cut people down. Blaise was Draco's closest mate and, as such, the only one who provided her with a modicum of comfort. She grinned at his lazy smile and wondered for the millionth time why her parents hadn't promised her as a child to the gorgeous, nice, smart, olive-skinned boy. They would have made a good team, if not a love match, because at least they had a friendship; something she and Draco didn't really have. No. All she shared with the boy-turned-man she was betrothed to was a polite relationship, a sad, painful history, and the knowledge that one day they would share a home.

Pansy shook herself and with another quick glance around and saw more Gryffindors; Natalie MacDonald and Euan Abercrombie were whispering and holding hands; and Andrew Kirke and Dean Thomas playing Exploding Snaps near them. With her mind quickly calculating, she counted the thirty-odd mix of students from the four houses, and wondered how many more of each the car would allow. There were already 7 Hufflepuffs, 10 Gryffindors, 9 Ravenclaws and 10 Slytherins, including herself.

Her question was answered immediately. Pansy turned at a sound behind her and watched as three younger Gryffindors were barred entry to the car, just as she had been stopped from leaving it.

"Oi! Pansy!" she heard yelled across the car in Millicent's strong, low voice. It never ceased to amaze Pansy that the attractive, blonde girl could be so hard.

She straightened away from the door and turned to walk to her fellow Slytherins. She kept her back straight and her chin high against the hisses of conversation she heard erupt around her. She knew most of the people she would face this year would hate her for what she had done. No one would know that it was abject fear, not solidarity, which had caused her to call out Harry's whereabouts to Voldemort, because no one ever asked her. She would have gladly explained it had anyone cared to listen.

Unable to stop herself, she glanced once more at the Gryffindor section and her eyes met Ron Weasley's. He blinked once in recognition and went back to his discussion with Hermione and Neville, never noticing the falter to her step.

"Hey, Pans," Blaise smiled at her. "Last one in, huh?"

"I guess so," Pansy answered as she continued to glance nervously around the car. "Any idea what's up with all this?"

Millicent shrugged as she bit her nail, "Dunno. I'm guessing this is some stupid trick to get us all talking or some such shite. Ten from each house from what I can tell."

"Or, what you were told by me," Theo snorted.

"Oh, belt up, Nott!" Millicent answered with a push to his shoulder that knocked him off the seat and onto the floor.

His face reddened in anger and embarrassment as the students closest to them laughed and pointed.

"Damn, Millie, you're such a guy!" he stated as he stood and brushed himself off. "It's really no wonder no one will date you."

His remark caused a titter of laughter from the same students, which was quickly quelled when Millicent turned her stare on them.

"Anyway," Blaise said to stop the impending argument, "Pans, did you see Draco out there?"

She shook her head, "No. He wasn't on the platform when I came through."

"Must be in another car," Millicent nodded.

"Way to state the obvious, Millie," Theo snorted, then leaned away from her swinging fist.

Blaise rolled his eyes and looked around the now full rail car. When his eyes fell on Pansy once again he asked, "Have you seen him since the funeral?"

Pansy had been looking around, trying to not look at the opposite corner of the car, and was taken by surprise at the question, "Who?"

"Draco Malfoy. Your fiancé," Theo answered as if she were a three year old.

"Oh, no," she shook her head. "He hasn't written back and I…I thought it best to leave him alone for a while."

Millicent nodded, "Probably for the best. Draco's got a mean temper and losing his dad after everything else is bound to have made him a right ass."

Pansy nodded absently and pulled a book out of her bag. The others, sensing she didn't want to talk, went back to discussing the strange set up of the train cars. Pansy was relieved to have gotten them to ignore her for a while and angled her head down as if she was reading. In truth, she was staring across the car, wondering what conversations were taking place over there.

xxxxxx

"I just don't get it," Neville sighed with an uneasy glance around the car. He had grown taller, stronger, more comfortable in his own skin, but his innate shyness made situations like these barely tolerable for him. "Why set it up this way?"

"No idea," Hermione shook her head at him. She looked around the car and noted the consistent separation of the houses, "If this is Professor McGonagall's way of promoting inter-house unity, I would say she's failing miserably."

Ron nodded at Hermione before he answered and reached out to touch a ringlet of the soft, brown hair that fell across her shoulder. What had been an uncontrollable bush as a child, has lengthened and become a mass of curls. She still had no idea what to do with it and like today, simply pulled it back with clips, so that it wasn't in her face, letting the curls lay naturally around her shoulders and down to her back. When her brown eyes glanced at him and then moved quickly away, he lowered his hand.

He sighed, "That's the truth. They might as well have kept the train the way it was. The only thing that's different this way is we have no privacy."

Hermione avoided his eyes when he said this as she knew why he wanted privacy; time alone for the two of them. She was suddenly very happy about the new train setup. They both acknowledged that things were not quite right between them and hadn't been for the last few months. But, the loss of Percy had been a real blow to the family, and after the war, and his death, neither wanted to rock the boat with more change. Harry and Ginny had finally gotten back together and seemed content, but neither Ron nor Hermione felt settled. Ron's reaction was to get more physical in hopes of forcing a spark to form between them. Hermione's was the opposite; she simply wanted to pull away from the man who was her best friend and first real boyfriend.

Ron had grown and changed into a nice-looking man with a good, strong build. His soft hazel eyes could melt the stoniest heart, and a rich laugh from his full lips never failed to make her smile. But, she knew things were over for them romantically; they had simply missed their window of opportunity. They loved each other, but were no longer in love. And, as loathe as she was for more change, she knew she wouldn't be able to take much more before she exploded. There was no fault or blame, but she knew if she didn't handle it correctly, words could be said that couldn't be taken back and then they could also lose their friendship. As much as she wished he'd stop groping her, was just as much as she wanted to hold onto him as a friend.

Rather than answer, she smiled distractedly and turned to look around the car once more. She listened with half an ear as Neville and Ron got into another discussion on what they thought would happen in the upcoming year. She noticed all of the Ravenclaws sitting on the floor in a circle not far away in deep discussion. She didn't recognize most of the younger students, but smiled and nodded at Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein. Looking past them she saw the Slytherins. They were spread out across the back of the car in small groups and appeared to be as disgruntled by the changes as she felt. Just as she was about to turn her head to check out the Hufflepuffs, Pansy Parkinson caught her attention.

Hermione felt the familiar anger bubble and ebb as she looked at the young woman across from her. Because of her, Harry could have been killed. Taking a deep breath she forced the anger away. Harry had said many times that summer that things had happened the way they were supposed to happen. The only blame for it was to be laid solidly at Voldemort's feet. If Harry could forgive, then so could she. With a small shake she refocused on Pansy and tried to figure out what had called her attention to her in the first place.

Hermione finally realized it wasn't what Pansy was doing, so much as what she wasn't doing. She wasn't reading the book she held in her lap, even though she turned pages every once in a while for effect. She was staring at someone through her bangs. Hermione followed the line of her eye and blinked in shock. Pansy was looking at Ron. And, her face wasn't twisted in its normal Slytherin sneer, but instead, held a relaxed, tiny smile. Hermione blinked again as her mind finally processed what she was seeing. Pansy Parkinson was looking at Ron Weasley almost…wistfully!

xxxxxx

The noise level was deafening in the next two separate cars. They were made up of mostly second, third and fourth year students who were excited to get back to school. Most had been kept far away from the war and its tragedies, but were relieved all the same to finally be free. They immediately shook off the past and set about trying to make new friends from the other houses.

The Slytherins started relaxing slowly as they were the most uncomfortable with the new changes. But, with no one to tell them to do otherwise, they were soon drawn into the frivolity and found themselves having uninhibited fun with people they had never thought to speak to before. The Ravenclaws among them assumed the reason for the changes and everyone simply accepted their views as fact. Peter Summers, a fourth year Hufflepuff in the third car, finally counted his house and mentioned that he thought there should be ten of each house per car, but no one counted the rest to see if their car was full, as they became too engrossed in getting to know one another.

Just about that time two former adversaries boarded the train at the same time, but from opposite ends. Neither realized or cared that they were among the last to board, and neither expected the scenes that met their eyes from the cars they passed. Had they tried any of the doors they would have known that they were barred from most of the cars. But, they continued past them, uncaring, as they sought out their friends.

Ginny Weasley's hand was firmly in Harry Potter's as they strolled down the corridor. Neither spoke; they had done too much of that over the past few months. The quiet hum of the train and the people around them, added to the fact that they could finally be together, free from fear, was enough to make them smile softly at each other every once in a while, as they looked for Ron and Hermione. Ginny noted the lines of apprehension form around his striking green eyes, and when he wasn't looking at her a slight frown on his taut face. He was almost a foot taller than her and used his strong, lean body to shield and protect her as they walked along. She felt the sudden tension radiating from him and wondered at its source.

xxxxxx

Draco walked along the train alone; eyes darting, but back straight, chin high, and his face impassive. He made no eye contact with those around him as he didn't want to see the looks of fear, hatred, or worse, pity from his fellow students. He was painfully aware that they all knew the truth of his failed attempt on Dumbledore, his very last minute switch of loyalties during the war, his admissions of fear on the stand, the death of his father, and the house imprisonment of his mother and himself. The story of the fall of the Malfoys had been front page news for months before, during and after their trials. _The Daily Prophet_ had found great enjoyment in its boost of sales as it detailed each moment of their misery, from their initial arrest all the way to the loss of most of their possessions, the Manor and finally Lucius' life. Rita Skeeter, once his ally, became his and his mother's own personal torturer as she spied on them and reported her findings back to the paper with glee.

Draco and Narcissa were moved into a much smaller house near the edge of muggle London and placed under house arrest. They could only leave the house in the company of Ministry Aurors, and even then only to shop for their basic needs once or twice a month. They were without house elves, friends, or their freedom. That summer they fell into a basic routine.

- Get up in the morning to shower and dress  
- Share a quiet, simple breakfast, made by whoever got up first  
- Meet with their assigned St. Mungo's Rehabilitation Specialists for one hour to discuss their wrongdoings, change of beliefs, and plans for a different future  
- Spend a half hour in quiet reflection  
- Come together once again for an even quieter lunch  
- Retire to their rooms to read or listen to music, while studiously avoiding newspapers, radios, and owls for an hour  
- Meet with their individual Ministry Life Coaches for the next four hours to learn all the things they had avoided most of their lives, including: cooking, cleaning, muggle history, muggle lifestyles and cultures, modern muggle technology, and for Draco, all that was necessary to prepare him to complete his N.E.W.T.S and 7th year work, since he'd missed much of his sixth year studies due to his failed attempt to kill Dumbledore  
- Dinner was another subdued affair, but made a bit lighter by their shared stories of what they had learned that day  
- The last of their time together for the day was spent cleaning and planning what they would do or buy on their upcoming shopping trip  
- Both then retired to their rooms for the evening; Narcissa to her lonely bed, a glass of wine to wash away the taste of the sleeping drought, and a book; Draco to his studies and restless night's sleep

With a beleaguered sigh Draco shook himself out of his thoughts and lengthened his strides. This was his final year; final chance. This was the end of one part of his life and the beginning of another. And, these were his final few months of freedom before he was to be married to Pansy and begin his life as a respectable wizard, husband, and at some point, father. He closed his eyes for a moment against the sinking, hopeless feeling in his gut and when they opened they landed on Harry and Ginny only a little way down the corridor from him. The knot twisted in his stomach even more as their eyes met.

They arrived at the same time at the car where Pansy, Blaise, Hermione and Ron sat. As they neared one another both men carefully cleared their expressions.

Draco was more than a little apprehensive about seeing Harry face-to-face for the first time since the day his family had been dragged out of the Great Hall. They had seen one another from afar briefly at the trials of his father, mother, and himself. Draco's main discomfort stemmed from the fact that it was Harry's words that had freed both himself and his mother, while those same words and impassioned pleas had condemned his father to death. He knew things could have turned out very differently, if not for Harry, but he also felt a bit of resentment that no one had at least acknowledged his father's change in the end. Just as his father had finally openly shown love and approval for Draco, their time had ended. He was stuck in a place of loss, grief, relief, fear and hope.

"Malfoy," Harry muttered as their eyes met.

"Potter," Draco nodded. His eyes flicked down to Ginny's, but she looked away and he was saved from having to speak to her.

With their greeting out of the way, all three turned to the door and peered into the car. Harry immediately saw Ron and Hermione at the far end and reached out to open the door. His hand hovered near the handle, but he couldn't seem to actually grab it.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked.

"Dunno," he mumbled and reached out again, only to feel an invisible force pushing his hand back away from the door.

Draco sighed and shook his head with only a slight smirk at Harry's inability to do something as simple as open a door after having saved the entire Wizarding World. He stepped forward and reached for the handle himself, only to feel the same resistance Harry had faced. The smirk moved from his face to Ginny's.

"If Harry can't open it, you most assuredly can't, Malfoy!"

Draco opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by Harry's tired voice, "Gin, let's not start, okay?"

Ginny nodded once and looked away from both men. Then with a lift of her chin she asked, "So, what do we do?"

"Maybe we can get their attention," Harry said as he started to wave at Ron and Hermione.

"Or, we could try magic," Draco laughed at them only a little snidely.

They both glanced back at him, but he ignored them as he closed his eyes and focused on Pansy and Blaise. They stepped back and both of their hands went to their wands as they felt the magic flow from him.

_Hello? Hello? Pansy. Blaise!_ Draco thought to them.

_Draco?_

Hello, Pansy.

Oh. (pause) Hello. (pause) How are you? Where are you?

Well, I'm out here in the corridor with…

Draco? Was that you?

Hello, Blaise.

Where the devil are you?

I'm out in the corridor with…

Draco? Who are you with?

Sorry, Pansy. Blaise answered, too, and I…

Draco? You still there?

Sorry, Blaise, but Pansy asked…  
  
He opened his eyes with a small gasp as he felt both connections snap close. He saw Harry and Ginny staring at him, wands at the ready and stepped back a bit from them as Pansy and Blaise appeared in the window of the door.

"Um, I was just contacting them," he said as he pointed to the door.

Harry glanced back, saw the two Slytherins staring out at them and lowered his wand. He also reached out to lower Ginny's arm.

"Well, Malfoy, why are they just standing there? Tell them to let us in," Harry said tiredly.

Draco mimed opening the door and watched in confusion as both shook their heads. He then felt the tapping in his head and opened his mind to Pansy.

_Draco, can you hear me?_

Yes. Why aren't you guys opening the door?

It's some kind of McGonagall get-to-know-each-other thing, Draco. I'm sorry, but it seems only ten from each house are allowed in each car. If I had known I would have waited for you.

It's fine. I will sit elsewhere.

Draco? Are you (pause) I mean, will you be okay?

Yes. Thank you. I'll be fine, Pansy. I will speak to you again when we get to Hogwarts.

Oh. Okay. Bye, I guess.  
  
He nodded at the two of them and stepped back to see Harry and Ginny staring at him once again; this time in question, not accusation.

"Well?" Ginny demanded with one hand on her hip.

Draco almost smiled at her demeanor, but forced a frown instead. She was a little woman; barely reaching his or Potter's shoulders, but her tone, stance and fierceness reminded him of an Amazon. He inwardly wondered who really controlled their relationship.

Before he could answer though, he saw another head of red hair out of the corner of his eye and looked back at the door. Blaise and Pansy still stood near the door watching them, but they were now joined by Ron and Hermione, the latter of which was writing in the air with a charmed quill.

He knew Hermione Granger was gifted in charms and shook his head at her ingenuity, as the words appeared in bold black as easily as if she were writing on a blackboard. To cover his admiration of her skill, he scowled at her friends, "You may want her explanation over mine."

Harry and Ginny turned to the door, saw Ron and Hermione, and stepped closer to read Hermione's explanation.

Draco decided this would be the best time for him to disappear, when they were no longer focused on him, and turned to go find another car. He glanced back one more time at the door to nod to his friends and stopped in shock.

Both Blaise and Pansy were looking at the other two in the door with them. But, while Blaise's face held mild admiration for what he was seeing, mixed with a stronger contempt for the person doing it, Pansy's was completely different. She wasn't watching Hermione or the words that appeared and disappeared into thin air. She was flushed and her breathing appeared to be very shallow as she stared past Hermione to Ron Weasley.

xxxxxx

A few minutes earlier Hermione had received yet another surprise from Pansy's corner of the train car. Once she had taken notice of Pansy's staring at Ron, she had looked to Ron to see if he had noticed. He hadn't, but her soft hair brushing his arm reminded him of her presence and he reached out and took her hand, even though he never stopped talking to Neville. Hermione's eyes had flown back to Pansy just in time to see the other girl's shoulders slump and her eyes fall to the book in her hands.

Before Hermione could process the surprise of it all, she saw a look of irritation cross Pansy's face as her back straightened and she shut her eyes. Before Hermione could wonder at the source of Pansy's feelings, she saw Blaise glance around quickly and then appear to zone out as his eyes lost focus. Within seconds both were standing and moving to the door of the train car. Hermione felt her breath hitch in her chest as she saw the man on the other side of the door. There stood the man whose family had come to the right side of the fight far too late. His light coloring made him appear almost ghostly in the darkened corridor and she couldn't help feeling slightly sorry for him after all she'd heard, read and experienced over the summer. She knew what he had gone through, and felt for anyone who would have suffered as he had. But, the reason for her hitched breath was not the man in the door himself, so much as the sudden realization that he was the cause of Pansy's irritation.

"I thought they were in love," she mumbled to herself.

Ron turned at the sound of her voice, "What? Who's in love?"

Hermione hadn't meant to say it out loud and stuttered, "Oh, nothing. I was…"

She was saved from answering as Ron got distracted by the sight of Blaise and Pansy at the door with Draco on the other side.

"Wonder what they have up their sleeves?" he muttered as his hand went to his wand.

Neville stiffened next to them and drew his wand slowly out of his pocket, "Nothing good, I bet."

Hermione shook her head at their continued paranoia and finally saw past Malfoy to Ginny's red hair.

"Hey, Harry and Ginny are out there, too," she said as she got up.

Ron hurriedly followed and they crowded the door.

"How do we tell them they can't get in?" he wondered aloud.

Blaise laughed under his breath at them, and Ron turned his head to tell the other man where he could stick his laugh. Hermione stopped him with a hand on his arm and pulled her quill from her hip bag. She risked a glance at Pansy and noticed that this time she appeared to be trying to NOT look at Ron. Hermione, giggled to herself, whispered a quick incantation and began to write her explanation of what they thought was happening for Harry and Ginny.

xxxxxx

Pansy could barely breathe. She had heard them approach from behind, and smelled the hint of aftershave that Ron wore. When he had asked his question, his low voice had rippled over her and she had had to stop herself from turning to smile up at him. She quickly remembered to keep her face blank and took a deep breath to control her sudden trembling, but it had the opposite affect, as his cologne once again washed over her. As Hermione started writing in thin air, Pansy decided that small shallow breaths worked better, even if they did leave her a bit light-headed. Turning her head slightly she saw him and for a moment forgot to breathe all together.

_It's wrong. He's a Weasley. He thinks you're scum for what you did. He's one of the 'Saviors of the Wizarding World.' He's a Gryffindor. He's dating his dream girl. I'm engaged. Draco would kill me if he knew how much I fancy Ro…Weasley.  
_  
That thought brought her back to her senses and she glanced back to the door to see Draco watching her from the other side. She didn't know how she looked to him, but she quickly rearranged her features to paste on a sneer at Ron and Hermione, for affect, and then with a nod at Draco stepped away from the door.

xxxxxx

Draco almost called her back to the door, but instead decided to continue on to find a place to stay for the remainder of the trip and think. With one last nod at Blaise he backed away and turned back down the corridor. At each car he stopped and tried the doors, only to find them shut tight against him. By the time he finally reached a car door that would let him in he was so frustrated he ripped the door open with a bang, scaring the youngsters inside into a startled silence. His gaze swept the room of what looked like second, third and fourth years and fell on the robes of several Slytherins who wouldn't meet his eyes with their own. He wasn't sure if they were ashamed at having been caught having fun with others not from their own house, or were just scared of being seen like that by him. He also noted the looks of fear and revulsion on the faces of the boys and girls from the other houses, but he didn't care. He just wanted to sit by himself and think on that past few minutes.

"Back to what you were doing," he barked as he swept into the car past them and threw his bags into the overhead compartment near some empty seats in the rear of the car. With a heavy sigh he sat down near the window, crossed his arms, allowed the sneer to remain and turned his head to stare out of the window. It was a few long quiet moments before some nervous chatter started to again fill the quiet of the car.

With some of the stares finally off of him, he looked out on the platform and had a talk with himself.

_She was looking at Weasley! Really looking. Like 'interested' looking. What the hell? When did this happen? How? Just because he's a damn hero now? He's still a red-headed, stupid, hot head ass. And, what? Was I not supposed to notice? This sucks. It's not as if we have a deep meaningful relationship or anything, hell I can't bloody well stand her half of the time. But, as we do have to marry it would be good of her to at least pretend some loyalty and show some sense and decorum. I will not go through the remainder of my life with her in lust with that freak. Next thing she'll be expounding on her newfound respect for the damn Freak-Who-Lived-Again._

The opening of the door startled him out of his thoughts and he turned his head.

"Oh, that's just bloody perfect!" he sighed to himself and turned back to the window. Another silence had stricken the children as Harry Potter himself stepped into the train car.

xxxxxx


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story

**Chapter 2  
**  
Harry and Ginny after having waved goodbye to Ron and Hermione had continued on to find their compartment. They laughed softly with one another as they moved from locked car to locked car. With a relieved cry of joy, Harry finally found one that didn't push him away. Being the gentleman he was, he motioned for Ginny to go in first.

"Beautiful, wonderful ladies first," he smiled down at her.

"Such a charmer," she giggled and moved past him, her things levitated in front of her.

"Only for you, love. I just hope we can find a oomph," he said as he slammed into the invisible barrier and realized he couldn't enter the car with her.

Ginny turned to look back at him, "Harry, you coming?"

She saw the look of confusion and sadness on his face as he hovered outside of the doorway and quickly glanced around to count the people in the car with her. With a dawning look of anger she looked back at Harry.

"No, dammit!" she wailed and tried to step back out to him only to find herself blocked.

"It's okay," he smiled down at her frustrated face. "I'll just…"

He was once again cut off as the door slid solidly shut in his face.

Ginny stepped up and banged on the window of the door. He shook his head at her and sent her a smile as he shrugged. He saw her slump against the door and mimed 'chin up' as he stepped back. A flurry of movement over her shoulder caught his eye and he watched Luna greet Ginny. The two girls hugged and then Luna turned to look out at him and wave. He smiled, waved back and then blew a small kiss at Ginny before he turned to continue looking for a car for himself. He didn't have to go far as the very next car allowed him in, for which he was very glad. But, his presence caused an uncomfortable silence to fall over the people in the car. He knew it would not be long before he was asked to tell his story for the millionth time and tried to avoid it by turning away quickly. He immediately saw an empty row in the back and started for it as he lowered his eyes and head to indicate he wasn't in a chatting mood. He didn't lift his eyes again until he reached the seat, and only then to toss his bags up over his head and glance across the row at the person huddled against the window of the other seat.

Blue-grey eyes met bright green for a moment before they both looked away. Harry almost reached back up to get his bags and move to somewhere else in the car, but when he turned he saw thirty-eight pairs of eyes staring at him, just waiting to ask him questions.

"Perfect. Just bloody perfect," he muttered sarcastically to himself as he plopped down in his seat and crossed his arms moodily on his chest.

"My thoughts exactly, Potter," Draco mumbled tiredly from his seat.

The students saw the two famous enemies mimicking each other's stances and wondered what to do. As much as most wanted to approach Harry Potter, they feared getting closer to Draco Malfoy. And, honestly, neither man really radiated warmth. Finally, a fourth year Slytherin braved the quiet, his voice squeaky and nervous, but his chin high and proud as he stood next to a pretty third year Ravenclaw girl.

"Well, uh, that makes forty. Maybe the train will get moving now."

She nodded with her eyes still swinging back and forth between Harry and Draco, "Yes. I hope so. I am getting a bit hungry and the Trolley Lady won't come until we get going."

A second year with her blonde hair in pigtails looked over at them, "Do you think she'll be able to get into the car if we can't get out?"

And, just like that, the children moved away and resumed their games and discussions; the two brooding men, one light, the other dark, were ignored. Harry turned his head slightly and looked across the train as it began to move. He saw the other man and wondered where their relationship stood. For what felt like his entire life, he and Draco had been at odds. First, over whom they should be friends with, then because of their separate house rivalries, and later because of their chosen sides in the war. Now, with the war and its many ramifications behind them, with many deaths behind and between them, and with the start of so many new opportunities for each of them ahead, Harry wondered what the future held.

He took a breath and whispered a silencing charm around them as he turned fully to face Draco.

Draco's head whipped around and his hand went for his wand immediately, as his eyes met Harry's once more.

"Relax," Harry said unconcernedly. "I just have something to say to you, and I don't fancy it becoming gossip for the masses."

Draco nodded shortly and let his hand fall away from his wand. He knew Harry wouldn't start a fight with all their young witnesses, and he was slightly curious as to what the 'boy-wonder' had to say to him.

"Get to it," he said shortly.

Harry opened his mouth and then closed it once again, unsure of how to start. Then with a nod more to himself than to Draco, he spoke.

"Listen, Malfoy. I…well, I don't know really. I guess I just wanted to say I want some peace this year. I'm tired of all the stupid fighting for no good reason, the backbiting and sniping. I'm sick to death of the stares and questions. I just want one normal year at school and I'm quite simply through fighting with you. If nothing else this past year, I have learned that life is far too short for petty, childish gripes. Professor Dumbledore would have wanted me to forgive you, to put the past behind us. Even Sna…I mean Professor Snape in the end would have wanted it. I apologize for the role I played in your family's, um, losses and I don't expect that we will ever be friends or anything like that. But, I do hope we can find some middle ground and learn to co-exist. I think life would be less stressful for all concerned if we can do our best to learn to be at least civil. I'm sure Professor McGonagall is hoping to promote house unity with this little stunt, and it looks to be working, on them at least. Look, it's a long year, we're adults, we can do this. What do you say?"

Draco stared blankly at Harry for a moment and then asked, "What exactly are you asking me Potter?"

"Well, I guess I'm asking if we can call a truce of sorts. What with Ginny and Zabini as Heads, we'll be seeing a lot of each other, I would guess. It would just make it easier for all concerned if we weren't constantly at each other's throats. Deal?"

Draco stared at Harry for a long moment before he answered. A part of him immediately rebelled against agreeing with Harry in anything, but apparently some of the re-education he had been through all summer had taken.

"I can be civil, if you and your lot can," he said and looked wearily away. "Besides, it's not as if I have much ammunition to fight with this year, is there?"

Harry looked away when he heard the resentment, anger, and resigned acceptance in Draco's voice and sighed, "Well, I don't want to fight anyone anyway."

Both looked out of their respective windows and watched the landscape go by. Neither spoke again for the remainder of the trip.

In an effort to promote more unity among the houses, the Headmistress had made Ginny Weasley of Gryffindor and Blaise Zabini of Slytherin Head Girl and Boy. Both had good grades and would represent their houses well, but more than that, it would force two groups of people who had previously been against one another to interact on a regular basis. The hope of the teachers and Headmistress was that these opposing groups would have grown up enough to at least show civility and thereby show the rest of the school how to unite. It was understood that there would be tension at first, but they hoped the forced close proximity would help this group, who they felt needed it most, start to heal.

xxxxxx

When they arrived at Hogwarts the students scrambled off the train and ran to the carriages, anxious to meet up with friends they'd been separated from on the long journey. Once they reached the school they hurried up the stairs to enter the lobby outside of the Great Hall, only to find the doors locked. Many of the younger students immediately began to panic, whimper and hide behind those taller than them, while the older ones drew their wands and glanced around nervously, as they tried to push the smaller children behind them. The Dark Lord was indeed dead, but some of his followers still lived and wanted nothing more than to punish those who had played a part in their leader's death.

Pansy found herself forced behind both Blaise and Draco, their broad shoulders fully blocking her view. She glanced around nervously to figure out what was happening. Like a tracking beam her eyes once again found The Trio and she saw them fanned out across the back of the crowd, wands drawn, eyes alert, as they and their friends pushed the younger children behind them. She felt a sadness ripple through her at the realization that people her age could be that mentally battle ready.

Just as the mass of students began to keen with fear, candles exploded with light and the doors to the Great Hall burst open. The teachers all stood at the head table their wands crossed in solidarity, their faces wreathed with welcoming smiles. And, on the dais in front of the head table stood Professors Snape and Dumbledore. In the silence that fell, the former Headmaster stepped forward.

"I know it is a shock for most of you to see Severus and me here, but I assure you, you are not seeing things, nor are we ghosts of our former selves. We are happily, very much alive and have quite the story to tell. But, it is a tale for after our newest are sorted and our bellies are full. With great pride, and I confess, a great deal of relief and joy, I, Albus Dumbledore, along with the professors and your Head Mistress, Minerva McGonagall, welcome new students and old back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The students pushed into the Great Hall in shocked silence as they stared at the men before them. Down to the youngest, they had heard the stories of both men's deaths and it was with disbelieving eyes they looked at them.

Pansy was coherent enough to glance around to see the Trio's reaction and noted the flushed faces and unchecked tears. Even Harry appeared floored by what he was seeing. She then looked worriedly to the man on her right and noticed the fear, shame, and awe on Draco's face. In support, she took his hand, and felt his light squeeze back. She wasn't sure if he did it out of acknowledgement or more to assure himself that what was happening was real.

"Now, as some of you are now noticing, there are no tables or chairs. We are declaring this the year of new beginnings, and as such will be making some changes. I will let your Headmistress explain further."

The students shifted from one foot to the other as the Headmistress made her way around the table to stand next to the two men. Many winced as they noticed for the first time her cane and pronounced limp, a forever-reminder of the war. She smiled benignly down over the group, and everyone noticed that her smile grow more full as her eyes fell on Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Lifting her chin in pride she nodded once and began her explanation. "I, too, welcome you all back to our newly restored halls. It is with great pride and pleasure I announce the start of a new year at Hogwarts. It is also with surprise, admiration, joy, and the love of true friendship that I welcome back to our midst Professors Dumbledore and Snape. I, as much as you, look forward to their tale. But first, let's get you all seated properly. In keeping with tradition the first years were brought over by boat, but as you can see over there, have been brought in to hear this information before their sorting. Now, I ask all of you to step back or to the sides for a moment, and please clear the floor as much as possible."

There was a lot of shuffling, and only a minor amount of grumbling, as the students quickly moved to the outskirts of the large room. It was then that Pansy noticed for the first time, the beauty of the room; the symmetry of the stone work, and the aching, haunting beauty of the enchanted ceiling.

The students watched as the Headmistress murmured a chant and small tables with chairs at them began to pop up all over the room. It escaped no ones notice that the tables only held twelve people in total. In confusion they didn't move as they looked back at her.

"Now, as you saw on the train, this year will be dedicated not only to your studies, but also to allowing you to figure out who you are, who you want to be, and what you want. New beginnings will not be a mere statement, it will be our new way of life. That is not to say we will not have houses, or that you will not be allowed to show your house pride. The four great houses of our founders will forever be a part of Hogwarts and our lives. But, we will not allow that separation to ever again be a cause for the pain and prejudices of the past."

She paused and allowed her eyes to roam their faces as she waited for her words to sink in to them. Once she was sure they understood, she continued.

"Now, each of you has a pre-assigned table. Each month until Christmas break this will change to put you with new people from every year. It is our hope that in doing this, you will not only make new friends, but give yourselves the chance to learn about others who may be different from you. We, of course, do not expect that all of you will get along with everyone; that is not the nature of people, adolescence especially. But, we do expect you to be civil, even cordial and open to the new possibilities this will present. First years, please stay where you are. The rest of you may go seek your seats. When you reach the table assigned to you, the centerpiece will glow with your name. You may sit anywhere at that table. Proceed."

For the next few minutes the students moved around the room looking for their tables. Some found it fun to see who was sat where and enjoyed the search. Others were disconcerted and disgruntled to see the people they were sat with, and who they weren't.

Hermione found her table rather quickly and took the seat farthest to the back. She wanted to be able to see and hear as much as possible. After greeting the two younger students that joined her, she turned to see where her friends were placed. She watched Harry sit at one table, while Ginny was placed at another next to it. They smiled happily at one another and then turned to seek out others they knew. Ron was placed at the table in the opposite corner from where Hermione sat and they shared a short wave before her view of him was blocked.

When the body didn't move she glanced up into the face of Blaise Zabini. She flicked a glance over him before returning to his eyes, which she noticed stared rather hard at her.

"Um, hello again, Zabini," she said more cordially than she felt.

"Granger," he nodded. Then he bit out, "Did you know about all of this?"

"What? No!" she shook her head. She watched as he seemed to weigh her answer before he sat down in a huff, crossed his arms and looked away from her.

"Great new beginning," she murmured. But, when he turned once again and pinned her with his dark stare, and she heard the giggles from the younger students at the table, she wished she had kept her lips shut. With a sigh she turned her head to the front of the hall as the remaining students found their tables and everyone looked up at Headmistress McGonagall expectantly.

"Thank you all. I am sure supper will give you ample time to complete your introductions and begin to get to know your new meal partners. But, now we will begin the sorting."

A chair and the Sorting Hat were levitated to the center of the floor by Professor Flitwick. Everyone looked to the hat as the brim slid open, expecting one of its thought-provoking speeches. But, even the teachers were surprised when it simply said, "Unity. Where hard work, cunning, bravery, and intelligence merge."

After a bit of a shocked pause, Headmistress McGonagall stepped forward and called, "Aaron, Jessica," and the long sorting process began.

xxxxxx

Ron sat at his corner table and looked around the room. He still reeled from the shock of seeing the former headmaster alive and well, and as yet had not really processed the changes around him. A quick scan after he'd found his table had let him see Hermione five tables over, and Harry and Ginny a few tables away in front of him. He didn't know anyone at his table, except for Draco Malfoy, and he wasn't about to 'get to know' him any better. He knew what had happened to the Malfoy family, and he wasn't such a self-absorbed prat that he didn't feel a bit for them, but he also couldn't forget how that same family had treated his for more years than he'd been alive. Change or no change, he could never foresee a future where a Malfoy and a Weasley were friends.

Ron snorted a laugh at his own thoughts and went back to looking at the other occupants of the table. He smiled as Luna joined him and sat on his right, and nodded in recognition at the couple of Gryffindors who sat opposite him. Malfoy sat a few seats over, no one yet on either side of him. Ron almost felt pity for the two people who would be forced to take those empty seats. He didn't know the Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws that joined their table and for the first time realized how segregated their lives had been. He vowed then and there to give true unity a chance and wondered what Hermione would do.

He cleared his throat softly, smiled at the people at his table, and announced, "Hello everyone. I'm Ron Weasley, 7th year Gryffindor, and I'm on our house Quidditch team. And, who are you?"

Most everyone introduced themselves as the other students continued to mill around looking for their tables. Draco stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the front dais. His shock that Professors Dumbledore and Snape were alive was complete. He couldn't think; he could barely breathe. He hadn't found his seat. He'd gotten lucky, as he'd simply fallen into the chair closest to him. He didn't notice Ron at his table, or anyone else. He wasn't seeing the room or the people. He was replaying his last moments in the Tower with Dumbledore in his head as he stared fixedly at the men before him.

He had suffered, his parents had suffered, and he had lost everything. And, it had all started with the death of the man before him; done by the man beside him. As much of a mess as his life had been prior to his sixth year, Draco's entire world had changed for the worse with the death of Albus Dumbledore. No one really knew how much he had suffered for that one night. In one act, one moment, his pride had been crushed, his hopes, so suddenly clear, crushed, his terror absolute, his future sealed. The "death" of Professor Dumbledore had been the beginning of the end for him. He had seen the look of pride in the Headmaster's eyes right before it happened and for a moment thought he stood a chance. Then, Snape had killed for him.

It was only a matter of moments, but Draco saw it again and again in slow motion as his thoughts swirled. The only person who had ever shown real faith in Draco, had condemned himself for him. It was in that moment that Draco knew all was lost. He would become like his father. He would kill innocent people for a madman. He would never have the redemption he so badly craved. He would never know peace. And, he would forever be blamed. In the end he had suffered, his mother had suffered, and his father had died.

And, now, it had all been for nothing.

_Zugose, James_…Slytherin!

xxxxxx

Pansy straightened at her table as the last child was sorted into her house. For the past hour they had seen children sit nervously under the hat, be sorted, and then run to the chair that lit up for them. The normal explosion of applause when a house was announced had not occurred, although a smattering of cheers were heard here and there around the room, when siblings or friends were sorted together. As always everyone waited, but unlike years before, not for the feast; this time it was for the explanation.

Pansy turned her head once again to look at the faces of the students at her table. The only person she really knew was Ginny Weasley and it wasn't like they were friends, or even passing acquaintances; as much as she thought they could have been if things had been different. She sighed and wondered for the millionth time why her life had led her to this point. Why couldn't she have been sorted into Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin? She was smart, more of a bookworm than most knew, loyal to those she believed in, and had a sharp, fast mind that she knew was seen as cunning. But, as a child, all she'd been told by her parents was that her house would be Slytherin. It was the only good house. It was the only place where she would be with the 'right' people. It was where her future husband would be placed. It was her destiny. She hadn't had a choice. No one had given her a chance to decide freely. Just as she'd heard Potter had requested to be in Gryffindor, she had begged the hat to put her in Slytherin. It was all she'd known. And, all she'd come to loathe.

Pansy's thoughts scattered as Professor McGonagall retook her position at the head table and said to the students, "Welcome to all of you once again. Now that you have been sorted and know your houses, I hope you will allow another small delay to your meals. I think it is time we all heard the truth from our esteemed professors. Which of you would like to begin?"

"I will go first and get this over with," Severus Snape rasped as he moved forward, his normally hawkish features made even more prominent by his weight loss. His robes swirled around him for a moment and then settled in a 'bat closing its wings' fashion and he raised his chin as he glared at all of them. "What I have to say I will say once, no more. You will ask me no more questions after tonight. I will answer none. I have given the full story to the Ministry, and to your betters, and they feel you deserve some explanation, so I will tell you some of it."

He paused to allow his eyes to slide over the assembly until they fell on Harry. When they did, he sneered, "What Potter told everyone was true. Except for one detail, I was not dead, no thanks to Misters Potter and Weasley, or Miss Granger who simply left me for such, as they…"

"Severus!" Professor Dumbledore interrupted and shook his head at him.

After a much beleaguered sigh, Professor Snape continued, "As I am sure most of you have heard from the stories of the summer, I played my part in the war, and gave Potter the truth of my deeds, of my past. I held my breath against the pain and I could no longer open my eyes. They then left me. I was very near death, I felt it approaching. Then for reasons I do not know I met Albus in, what I can best describe as, another plane. We spoke and he told me to come with him. I did as he bid. I don't know how much time passed before Potter joined us. I was hidden, so he would not see me as he spoke to Professor Dumbledore and I did not hear their conversation.

"But, when he left, we were left in that…space, with the disfigured form of Voldemort across from us. Albus and I went to the figure and knelt beside it as it struggled for what I do not know, nor care. Then, I touched The Headmas…Albus' scarred hand to pull him away, just as he touched the form of Voldemort and said, 'I forgive you, Tom.' There was an explosion and I awoke in that same room where _they_ had left me, with Albus next to me. I again lost consciousness. When I awoke once more, we were in a private area of St. Mungos and it was the first week of August. All that happened since the war was explained to me, I gave my story, I listened to Albus' explanations, and we are here. I am once again your Potions teacher. That is all."

The students murmured and shifted as they watched him turn and walk stiffly to his seat at the end of the table. His story had left them with many questions, but none dared voice them. All eyes turned to Professor Dumbledore as they waited for more explanation. He raised a hand in recognition of their many inquiries and it was only then that many noticed his scarred hand was healed and once again looked like that of an old man, and not the blackened claw it had become.

"Well, I guess it is now my turn," he smiled at them. Most of the students unconsciously smiled back, happy to once again see his eyes twinkle in his much-missed face.

"I know many of you have questions and I regret most of them will remain unanswered. I will tell you as much I am able. And, there are those among you who I will meet with privately. I am afraid I do not know much more than Professor Snape about why things occurred as they did, but I can tell you that I believe it happened because I forgave Tom at the same time as Harry vanquished him. Something happened when he died here, to the form I was touching there. And, since Professor Snape was touching me at the time it affected both of us. Tom lost his life, but gave it to us somehow. That is not to say we are possessed or anything of that nature, just that his death brought us life. Regrettably, we have no memory of our conversation before I met with Harry, and recall little else until we awoke in St. Mungos. The few people who knew of our situation swore an oath to not tell of us being alive until we could return to you. The identities of those people will remain a secret to protect them from retribution.

"As you know, there are still those out there that refuse to believe the war is over, that truth and light has won. But, I assure you, the walls and halls of Hogwarts will continue to protect you just as they have done in the past and even moreso. We learned from our prideful past and our failures and have added more protection to this castle and these grounds than ever in the past. You are safe here.

"Last, many of you may wonder why I forgave Tom Riddle." He glanced around the room and met the eyes of Harry, Hermione, and then Ron, before he settled on Draco's. "It is because I believe that no one is without remorse. No one is without mistakes, poor choices, or bad judgments. And, everyone, no matter who they are or what they have done in the past, deserves a second chance. They deserve the opportunity that circumstances took away. They deserve to be able to prove themselves, to better themselves, to find out who they are and who they want to be. Asking for forgiveness does not grant one absolution, but it begins the process of healing."

Draco felt each word wash over him and nodded his understanding during Professor Dumbledore's pause.

Dumbledore lifted his chin in recognition and continued as his eyes moved once again across the room, "And, even though the Tom here with you did not, would not, ask for such forgiveness, the form of him there in the room with us called to me. It still wanted the acceptance, forgiveness, and understanding the young man I knew never received. I was as much a part of who he became as anyone else in his past and it was left to me to grant that one small thing. I did not forgive him his deeds, no, never that. But, I did forgive the young boy I knew who did not know any other way to gain those things."

He paused again to let his words be understood by the students and teachers around him. Then he straightened and smiled once again at the room.

"Now, before Minerva begins the feast, I will owl the students I wish to speak to privately. But, for the rest of you, if you would like to speak with me, I can be found in my new classroom. Yes, that is correct. I will not be taking back my role as Headmaster, as I believe Headmistress McGonagall has served the school well and should continue to do so. I will instead step in as your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. And, I hope to hold the position a lot longer than your past professors. I also ask that you give me until next Monday before you begin to arrange any meetings with me. I am an old wizard and I have quite a bit on my plate, what with being suddenly alive, having to restock all of my candy, and having to plan lessons for the first time in many, many years."

The last joke had the affect intended and some laughter broke out in the hall as he stepped back and took his seat between Hagrid, who had not stopped crying, and Snape.

Headmistress McGonagall stepped forward and announced the Head Boy and Girl. She then gave them the normal warnings about the school grounds and rules and finally, announced dinner, which appeared the moment she sat down. The excitement of seeing and hearing Professors Dumbledore and Snape, mixed with the general joy of freedom filled the hall almost immediately. People who had never spoken to anyone from another house, gave the new arrangements a chance and struck up conversations with those around them. Talk ranged everywhere from nervous greetings to the teachers at the front of the room to wonder at how classes would be now that everything had changed.

Although there was a general buzz of excitement over most of the room, at four of the tables there were too many emotions flowing for joy to find its way in completely.

xxxxxx

Harry kept staring up at the front table his mouth agape. In his wildest imagination he could never have conjured up the thought that Professor Dumbledore could once again walk amongst them. And, knowing what he then knew it was with new eyes that he looked at his Potions teacher. His mind swirled with the questions to which he thought he'd never get an answer. Why had he treated Harry so badly if he had loved his mother so much? Where would things stand with them now that Professor Snape's secret was out for all to know? When would he be able to talk to Professor Dumbledore? Where would…

"You should eat, mate," Theodore Nott said softly as he nudged Harry in the side.

Harry's startled gaze flew to Nott's, "Wha…What?"

Theo cleared his throat softly and said again, "You should eat. Others are looking to you for how to react to all of this."

Harry nodded and picked up his fork as he glanced around the hall. His eyes met the curious gazes of many of the students and he dropped his eyes to his empty plate. With a sigh he reached for a chicken leg and then placed some beans on his plate. Out of the corner of his eye he saw several students relax and begin to eat.

"Thank you," he murmured to Theo.

"Must be hard," was the answer he received.

Harry looked at Theo for a second before he asked, "What do you mean?"

Theo shrugged and reached for another roll before he answered quietly, "Being you. I mean, everyone watching you all the time; everyone waiting for you to react before they think for themselves. Always having to think about what everyone else expects of you. Always having to do the right thing. Always being…well, it's making me a bit uncomfortable, all the staring, and it's not even me they're looking at. I never really thought about it until now, but I…it's just I think it must be hard being you, is all."

Harry stared at the boy he had only spoken to in passing for the last several years before he nodded. "You have no idea."

Theo straightened and continued chewing before he said with a thoughtful frown, "Being a Slytherin is ever so much easier I would expect. No one really has any expectations of us."

Harry looked away ashamedly, "Maybe this will be the year for all of you to change that."

xxxxxx

Ginny smiled at the young boy who had just stuttered through his introduction, "A good change is something we all hope for Curtis. I, for one, hope that we all embrace this new chance we've been given. And, in the spirit of that…"

Everyone turned to the object of Ginny's stare.

Pansy looked up from her plate to meet the hazel eyes of Ginny Weasley. For a few moments she just stared and thought how different they looked in Ron's face. Then, she seemed to realize that others were looking at her and once again lowered her eyes to the table.

Ginny lifted her chin and blew out a breath before she squared her shoulders and spoke to Pansy.

Forcing a smile, she said, "Parkinson? Pansy. Everyone else has already gone. It's your turn. Who are you and what do you want from this year?"

Pansy opened her mouth to answer, but then paused. It could now or never. This could be her chance, her new beginning. She closed her mouth for a second, as well as her eyes. Then she opened them and sent a shy, nervous smile around the table. She heard the gasps of surprise and ignored them as she stared straight at Ginny and answered softly.

"My name is Pansy Maris Parkinson. I am a 7th year Slytherin, for the second time." They laughed softly with her as she continued, her eyes never leaving Ginny's, "I…I have some hobbies and stuff, but mostly I like to read and um, paint. And, what I hope for this year is that everyone finally sees me; I mean the real me. I hope this year is the one where I finally get to show people who I am and not who they think I am. I want to make new friends. And, I want things to change for the better for once."

Ginny slowly closed her mouth and nodded at Pansy. "Okay. Okay. Well…um, okay."

A silence fell over the table as Pansy's face slowly lost its color in her embarrassment.

Curtis cleared his throat in the uncomfortable quiet and asked, "So, Pansy, um, what kind of books do you like to read?"

She smiled gratefully at the youngster before she answered.

xxxxxx

"Well, my favorite book is _Hogwarts, A History_, but I like all kinds of stuff," Hermione smiled at the table. "I sometimes even read trashy novels."

The table laughed with her before a young Ravenclaw said, "I heard you, Ron and Harry broke a lot of rules when you were my age. Is it true?"

Blaise grunted, "Yeah, right!" and crossed his arms and he stared at the ceiling. He was bored out of his mind with the idle chatter at the table. He and Hermione were the only 7th years at the table and all the questions from the kids at his table to the little witch across from him were driving him crazy. Even if, he begrudgingly admitted, she kept trying to change the subject away from herself. She was smart, had finally stopped looking so tragic and skinny, and seemed to be earnest in her desire to get to know everyone at the table. It made him sick; all that niceness. The absurd thought of 'little Miss Perfect know-it-all' actually breaking a rule made him want to laugh out loud.

He sighed heavily and pinned her with his dark eyes, "Oh yes, please tell us, Granger. We're dying to hear about all the heavy rule breaking you did. It should take, what? Three seconds?"

Hermione had had enough of his snide comments and rude remarks. All the people at the table had been trying to put aside their pasts and give things a chance, except for him. Every time someone had shared a personal thought or feeling he had belittled them. It had taken all of Hermione's patience to not hex him and let loose the temper few knew she possessed. Instead, she leaned forward as she spat her answer at him.

"Well, Zabini," she sneered, "you may want to get comfortable, as this could be the longest three seconds of your pathetic life. While it was all in the service of the school, I'll have you know that second year, I stole ingredients from Professor Snape's storage and made a polyjuice potion, so Harry and Ron could sneak into the Slytherin dungeon as Crabbe and Goyle. Third year I had an illegal Time Turner the whole year and helped both Buckbeak and Sirius Black escape. Fourth year I trapped Rita Skeeter in a jar to keep her mouth shut for a damn change. Fifth year I helped create Dumbledore's Army, lured Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest and had her carried off by a herd of centaurs, AND fought at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Sixth year, I…"

"We get it!" Blaise stopped her with a matching sneer. "You're not so pure and perfect. You're just better at not getting caught." He almost laughed at the look of outrage on her face, but the smile faded quickly as she smiled evilly at him and sat back. Almost instantly he felt a burning itch crawling through his body.

He braced himself against the itch and pain as he stared at her. With an impish grin she sighed and the itching stopped.

"I also learned a whole mess of non-verbal spells in my spare time that wouldn't be considered quite allowed at school," she smiled.

Blaise felt a small trickle of respect form in the wake of her retribution and smirked at her. She was good. No one else knew what had happened and she had had her tiny bit of revenge without giving him a way, as Head Boy, to punish her.

He murmured appreciatively, "Well played, Granger. Well played."

She nodded and turned away and he continued to gaze at her through new eyes. He snickered to himself at what she would say if he complimented her actions by saying they had been almost Slytherin of her.

xxxxxx

"And, he's a seventh year Slytherin, as I am sure you all know," Ron said as he pointed in Draco's general direction.

Luna smiled at the rest of the table and said, "Okay, now that everyone knows everyone's names, what is your favorite color imptike?"

Everyone looked at Luna and then around at each other in question. They had never heard of imptikes.

"How about something more, um, common, Luna?" Ron asked politely. Then without waiting for her answer he continued, "How about everyone's most and least favorite class? Or, what you think they will be for you three first years."

Faruka, a second year Slytherin, took a breath, glanced at the silent blonde boy two seats away and then looked at Ron Weasley. The fact that he was one of the people who had saved them all from horrors her parents had whispered about at night bolstered her courage. She figured Draco couldn't hurt her with Ron at the table.

"I, um, I like Transfiguration best. And, I kind of don't like Potions much," she said quietly glancing around quickly to see if she was wrong to have taken a chance. Ron's smile and nod made her feel much better and she actually giggled when he answered.

"Well, that makes two of us, Faruka," Ron smiled. "But, I must admit, the only class I really can say I like even a little is Charms."

Ron's easy smile and voice relaxed the others into answering and soon they were all laughing together about things from their various classes. The only person not talking was Draco Malfoy.

xxxxxx

Draco pushed his food around his plate and wondered for the thousandth time when the meal would be over.

_Nothing. It was all for nothing. We lost everything and…nothing. I know they didn't do it purposely, and I am very glad they're alive and all, but what now? Am I no longer the boy who tried to kill Albus Dumbledore? Do I get forgiven for his murder? No, I still attempted it, didn't I? And, Severus. Why didn't he contact me or Mother to let us know he was alive? Didn't he realize we needed him? Especially after Father's… Damn! What am I? Jinxed? What did I do in a previous life to land me here now? And, what was Dumbledore playing at talking about second chances? Doesn't he know that's impossible? For me at least. No one gets a real second chance. Not really. People will never understand what I did. Hell, I barely understand it all now. Who would give me a second chance? Why should they? They all know I was just a scared, little shit in the end. They all know I choose the light side out of fear and not personal choice. They barely believed Potter's story about me lowering my wand. I need air. I need to get out of here and think. Please someone, anyone, stand up and leave this hall, so I am not the first. I can't bear much more of the weasel's stupid chatter or Loony's inane blather. Why won't these infernal asses all around me shut the hell up?!  
_  
Watching Weasel and Loony comfortably engaging the others in conversation as he sat in his chair and tried not to scream, was just too much. The incessant chatter around the room was grating to his ears and he felt suffocated by all of the happiness in the room. He heard the whispers, felt the stares all around him, as well as Blaise, or maybe Pansy, trying to talk to him. But, he shut them out. He wasn't ready to talk to anyone. He needed space and he needed answers. He needed to know what he was to do now that the past two years of his life, all that fear, pain and self-loathing, had been for nothing.

_"You will let me in!"_ Snape's voice hissed in Draco's head pushing his mental barriers aside.

Draco's head snapped up and he turned to stare at the man who had been so many things to him; teacher, friend, mentor, protector, and tormentor.

Shutting that face out, he closed his eyes and turned away, _"What?!"_

_"Watch your tone, young man,"_ Snape snapped in his mind.

"You have got to kidding me!" Draco returned. He hadn't mean to speak out loud, but he jerked and looked down at his side as the young Ravenclaw girl beside him giggled and touched his arm.

"No, I honestly do think Professor Flitwick is adorable," she smiled. "He may be little, but…"

Draco turned away and blocked out her annoying little voice. _"What do you want?"_ he asked as politely as he could to Professor Snape.

_"We need to talk."  
_  
_"I know."_ Draco sighed and turned to face Professor Snape as he thought the next words, _"Are you…you look kind of…Dammit, are you okay?"  
_  
_"Thank you for your concern, Draco, but I will soon be fine. I am just tired."  
_  
_"I am glad you're…"  
_  
_"Alive?"_ Snape's voice laughed in his ear. _"As am I, I assure you."_ Then the laughter subsided as he asked, _"How are you? And, Narcissa?"_

_"She's okay. Much better now, I think. She misses Father, of course. But, she is slowly embracing life again. She met with her sister. She has turned down several interviews about saving Potter's life, but she's thinking of penning a book, possibly. And, she…"  
_  
_"I also asked about you,"_ Snape interrupted.

"_I'm fine,"_ Draco sighed and turned away. He waited to hear Snape's sharp retort, but when none came he turned once again to find his teacher staring fixedly at him. But, it was not Snape's stare that made Draco's stomach twist. It was his former headmaster's words flowing into his mind that caught his attention and drew his eyes to the older man.

_"I am so very sorry for what we did to you and what you have suffered since. Your suffering was never our intention."  
_  
He blinked once and then felt the little food he'd taken in about to make a reappearance. No longer caring that no one else had gotten up yet, not caring that his actions would give the gossips more to talk about, Draco lurched to his feet. He just needed to get out. Pushing his chair out of his way he began the walk out of the hall.

His abrupt departure would have been the talk of the night had another eruption not happened a few tables away.

xxxxxx


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Well, we're sorry for asking!"

All eyes turned from the stalking blonde to the center of the room where a young Gryffindor boy was standing and yelling at the top of his lungs. Draco's step faltered in his shock as the boy was yelling at Pansy Parkinson.

"And, stop acting so nice all of a sudden. We all know what you are. We know you don't mean it! You're just as evil as you're screwed up boyfriend and his dead Death Eater daddy. You were eager to turn Harry over to your oh-so-great Lord and we would like to know why? It's not like you ever explained it, is it? And, why did you come back? No one wants you here!"

Silence swept the hall for a moment as everyone tried to figure out what had happened. Pansy seemed to have shrunk into her seat, and most of the people close to her were shocked to see real tears pouring from her eyes. Her mouth worked as she tried to force words past her shaking lips and stared, horrified, at Harry at the next table.

"I…I'm…"

Her tentative voice cut the quiet and several teachers belatedly jumped to their feet. Draco turned to move back toward her, but another voice stopped him in his tracks.

"As a Gryffindor," Ginny spat as she stood from her chair, her hair moving and crackling as the magic slipped her control in her anger, "I am ashamed to say that I wish we had points already, so that I could take them from my own house! But, as Head Girl, I assure you, Euan Abercrombie, it gives me great pleasure to give you as many detentions as I am allowed! How dare you embarrass yourself and our house like that? How dare you draw blood first!"

The shock of what she said rippled across the room and in their shock no one stopped her from rounding the table on the boy. "How dare you?! You weren't there, were you?! You don't know what Pansy was or wasn't thinking, do you? Yes, maybe she did just want to turn Harry over to Voldemort. Or, maybe, just maybe, she was petrified, just like the rest of us! Maybe she feared for her life, like the rest of us, and just reacted."

Euan puffed out his chest in indignation, "We have a right…"

"You have no right to call her out like that! You want answers, ask her privately. Only she can tell you why she did what she did. But, you do not have the right to attack her publicly. You do not have the right to embarrass any student in this school over their actions back then. And, you DO NOT have the right to embarrass our house. If a student is here, it is because they fought bravely, wanted to, or have come back for a second chance. How dare you try to take that from her! If Harry can forgive…"

"Ginny, that's enough," Harry said quietly from his seat.

Ginny stopped abruptly and turned to see Harry stand and walk over to Pansy. When he reached her, he waited until she looked slowly up at him.

Harry kept his voice low in an effort to not embarrass her further, "Pansy, would you like to take a walk with me?"

xxxxxx

Pansy couldn't breathe. The walls she had been admiring were suddenly closing in on her as the boy spat in her face and started yelling at her. All her fears were laid in front of her, and she didn't know what to do. She stared at Harry and tried to apologize, but nothing would come out. All she could hear was her own guilt being screamed at her. Then Ginny Weasley started to defend her and the world began to tilt. She didn't hear what exactly Ginny said, but she felt Ginny's hand on her shoulder. Someone was touching her, defending her.

_Ask her!  
_  
Pansy shuddered and closed her eyes. She willed the pain, guilt and fear to go away, just as strongly as she silently willed Ginny to turn and hug her. Her hand was not enough. Just before she embarrassed herself by launching herself at the woman screaming at her side, she saw his shoes and heard her name.

Slowly lifting her eyes she stared into clear, green ones that held sympathy and empathy. She didn't hear what was said, but she saw the hand he held out to her. It was her a lifeline; a chance at her new beginning. And, she grabbed at it like a drowning woman.

"I'm sorry," she began babbling as she held onto his hand, "I'm so sorry. I didn't think. I was so scared. I wouldn't…"

"It's okay, Pansy," Harry said softly, as he pulled her to her feet. "Let's go talk."

The hall was silent as Harry and Pansy made their way out. Neither one looked at Draco as they passed by him. Neither noticed the look of awe and envy on his face. No one paid any attention to him. Well, almost no one.

As soon as the door closed behind Harry and Pansy, noise erupted in the room. Those who had been too far away to hear everything clearly got up and ran to friends who had been closer. Ron made his way through the crowded floor to Ginny and tried to calm her down. The teachers moved down from the dais and tried to get everyone to calm down and go back to their seats, while McGonagall took Euan from the hall by his ear.

Draco stood in the same place, unable to move, as he replayed the events of the last few minutes. The more he thought on it, the more confused he got. He wanted to run, but his feet wouldn't cooperate. Then he felt a hand on his arm.

Just as Snape's low voice cut across the crowd to quiet it, Draco looked down in the soft, warm, brown eyes of Hermione Granger. It was a lot quieter as the professors got everyone back to their tables and made their way back up the dais, but for Draco it was like someone had hit mute on his life. He heard nothing but a buzz as he stared down at her. Her hand felt warm on his arm and made his skin tingle slightly. She stood so close that he could count the light sprinkle of freckles across her nose and he fleetingly wondered if they had always been there or if she had spent too much time in the sun over the past few months. Looking at the rest of her face he saw sorrow and understanding. But, it was her eyes that made him stiffen and finally pull his arm away from her as he stepped back.

"I don't need your pity, you…you," he spat at her and turned away, once again hearing the sounds of the people all around them in the hall.

She smiled a bit, at his loss of words, and murmured to his back, "Well, you have it anyway. No one should have to suffer as you have. I am sorry for all you've lost, Malfoy."

He stopped as her soft voice washed over him. He heard the sincerity and felt shame at his sudden anger. It hadn't been her fault everything in his life had fallen apart. She just embodied it all. He turned back to face her and asked the one question plaguing him the most. "Why?"

Hermione didn't know how to answer, as she didn't understand the question. Was he asking why she felt pity for him? Or, why she had stopped him? Or, why…so many things.

With a tiny shrug, she chose to answer for the here and now, "You looked like you needed a friend."

Draco felt the walls closing in once again as her words played in his head over and over for a long moment. He just stared at her as she turned and walked back to her table. He didn't even care what he might look like to others, as he concentrated on breathing. When she sat down her eyes lifted to meet his and he saw what he had missed a few moments earlier.

Caring. He couldn't imagine why, but she actually cared.

xxxxxx

Blaise watched Hermione walk away from a very pale Draco and wondered what she had said to him. Draco was as close to a friend as Blaise had. Granted, his definition of friendship was a bit skewed, as he wasn't into all that lovey, huggy, talking about 'being there for one another' crap that the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors did. He hadn't ever put any person before himself, besides his mother. But, he knew if there was anyone he would trust with his secrets, if he ever chose to spill them, it would be Draco. Although, if he was being honest, Pansy was easier to talk to most days.

Pansy. What had possessed her to go out alone with Potter? Speaking of which, why wasn't Draco going after them? Blaise's eyes narrowed on his blonde friend and noticed he hadn't looked away from the dark-haired woman across from him. What had she said to him? With one last glance at Hermione, Blaise stood and walked toward Draco.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly as he moved to stand next to Draco.

Draco drew in a shuddering breath and focused on Blaise, "Fine. You?"

"You going after Pansy?"

"Yes, uh, of course," Draco said and straightened his shoulders. "Are you coming with?"

Blaise shook his head, "No, I'm not quite done eating. I just thought I'd see if you were…well, you looked…Look, I know you had a rough summer and I never contacted you or anything, but, I don't know, you just looked as if you…like, maybe you needed a friend."

Draco visibly flinched at the word and his eyes went back to Hermione.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked.

"That's what she said," Draco said softly. Then his eyes returned to Blaise's, and he gave a short, mirthless laugh, "I'm practically public enemy number one, and all of a sudden everyone wants to be my friend. I need to get out of here."

Blaise didn't stop Draco as he turned sharply and left the hall. Instead he returned to his table and his dinner. He didn't participate in the conversations at his table, but he no longer scoffed at or interrupted them. He listened as Hermione patiently answered question after question from the excited first years about what to expect in class and from the various teachers. After a short while he had to stop himself from smiling at her antics as she acted out a few of the teachers for them. When one of the fifth year students began to ask her about O.W.L.S. and she couldn't recall the answer, he almost jumped in to answer for her, before he remembered who she was.

Hermione Granger was off limits. She was not someone he could befriend, like, or even talk to, as she was not only a Gryffindor and Harry Potter's best friend, but she was also a muggleborn and that meant she was…

What? What did not having two magical parents make her? She was still a witch. She was accomplished, intelligent, now as rich as him, if he'd heard right, well-liked and respected, and a war veteran. Physically, she'd improved beyond measure since she'd put some weight back on after her year with Weasley and Potter on the run. Hell, she'd even figured out how to turn her bush into a mass of bouncy curls. So, why did her being a mudbl…muggleborn matter? Did it? Would she have been any different if she had been a pureblood? Could they have possibly been friends? And, what about now? The war was over.

Most of the pureblood families had been torn apart. Everyone was seeing the reality of their years of inbreeding. The high number of stillbirths, birth defects (squibs), and families with only one child, was too scary for most to discuss. But Blaise's mother had mentioned recently in one of their rare heart-to-heart talks that he should widen his circle of friends. It was her way of saying he should look outside of the pureblood world for someone to date. Unbeknownst to her, Blaise had never really discriminated on the basis of blood, just house. He had dated girls from every house, but Gryffindor, and some quite seriously. But now, faced with a new year and a new school motto, would he break that rule?

Hermione's light laugh brought his attention back to her and their eyes met. She was the first to look away, but he had seen the question on her face as clearly as if she'd asked it aloud.

_Why are you looking at me and not sneering or spouting some pureblood bull?  
_  
He looked away from her and around the rest of the hall as he contemplated his answer; because truthfully, he didn't know. He wasn't quite sure what he knew anymore. And, that made him angry.

xxxxxx

Draco moved quietly down the hall searching for Pansy and Harry. He didn't really want to find them, as he had no idea what to say to either. But, he knew it was his duty to stand by Pansy. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost missed them sitting in an empty classroom only a few doors down from the Great Hall. It wasn't his intention to eavesdrop, but Pansy's words stopped him.

"…and I don't know what to do anymore, Pot…Harry. I mean, I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I want to anymore. Not that I ever did really. It was just expected, you know. Our parents planned everything, down to the last detail. I didn't even get to pick my dress," Pansy cried softly, "Narcissa, thought the one I picked was…"

Harry sat quietly and listened, as he patted her hand now and then, or made appropriate sounds to let her know he was paying attention. He hadn't known what to expect when he'd made the offer to talk to her, but it certainly hadn't been the outpouring he had been subjected to for the past ten minutes. When he had walked the crying girl from the Great Hall, he had figured she needed to apologize to him. Most of the people he had known from school had sought him out over the summer to say how sorry they were for whatever they felt they had done to him or not done for him. It became something he tolerated, even if he didn't like it. It seemed to make them feel better and if really didn't hurt him, so he let it happen. That is why he'd made the offer to Pansy.

But, he'd gotten so much more than he'd bargained for when he'd asked, "Are you okay, Pansy? What's on your mind?"

"…and I don't even really like him all that much. Not that I don't like him at all, but, I mean, well, he's rather distant and cold, you know? He's nice enough to look at, I guess, if you like that type, but honestly, he's no Ron…I mean, um…"

Draco watched her face lose all color as she stared in horror at Harry. He saw Harry straighten and his jaw drop a bit.

Pansy jumped up and tried to pull her hand from Harry's, "Merlin! I can't believe I…let me go!"

"Pansy, wait," Harry tried not laugh as he held on to the now struggling and blushing young woman. "Ron? As in my best mate, Ron Weasley? You like Ron?"

"No. No, I just…well, yes, but…oh Merlin…what I mean is, he's…oh for the sake of all that's magical please forget you heard that, Harry. If anyone ever found out, if Draco ever found out, I'd…"

Draco chose that moment to make his presence known, "You'd what Pansy?"

Both figures froze at the sound of his voice, and Draco was mildly amused to see Harry step in front of Pansy to protect her from Draco's wrath.

"Come on _darling_," he said haughtily, "tell me what you are going to do now that I know you have a thing for the Weasel?"

Pansy blanched at the crisp politeness in his voice. She didn't know what would have been worse, his anger or his pain, but she didn't have to think about them, as she was faced with something she hadn't contemplated; his indifference.

Squaring her shoulders she stepped from behind Harry and clasped her hands in front of herself as she looked at the man who would be her husband, "I, um, well I…what do you want me to say, Draco?"

Draco noticed that Harry looked everywhere but at the two of them. To waste time he directed his next question at Harry. "So, Potter, is this why you dragged her from the hall? Burning need to learn all her deep, dark, and might I add, nauseating, secrets?"

Pansy sniffed delicately at his insult, but he kept his eyes on Harry's.

"No, I brought her here to listen to what she had to say, Malfoy. It seems she doesn't have a lot of true friends to talk to," Harry sneered mildly.

Draco bristled, "What is it with everyone and that word tonight?! Just because the war is over doesn't mean everyone has to become friends. I am sick and tired of everyone thinking…"

He stopped and took a breath to regain control of his spiraling emotions when he noticed both Harry and Pansy staring at him in shock.

"Look, Pansy, we shall discuss this later." Then he looked at Harry with a look of disdain and mocked, "Potter, a pleasure, as always," before he turned and left the room.

"Asshole," Harry muttered as he looked at the empty doorway.

"No, he's not," Pansy sighed as she sat heavily in a chair and looked at her clenched hands. "He just doesn't care about, well, anything I suppose."

Harry took the seat next to her and smiled softly, "But, you do, don't you?"

Pansy blushed and glanced up at Harry, "Please don't say anything to him about it. I can't believe I even told you. And, Draco…plus Ron would never, I mean, he's with Granger…and, well I am sure I will get over it…and, it doesn't matter anyway, now does it? I am promised to Draco."

She looked so sad and defeated that Harry was at a loss as to what to say. She wasn't a friend. She wasn't even an acquaintance. This conversation was the longest one he had ever had with her in all the years they had known of one another. He didn't like or dislike her; he didn't really know her. But, he did feel badly for her. And, the fact was, he knew Hermione and Ron weren't going to be a couple for much longer. They just weren't that into each other, no matter how much they pretended to be. And while Hermione would bounce back rather quickly, he believed, Ron would need someone to lean on. He would need a girl who would make him her whole world. If she played her cards right, maybe Pansy would find a way to get what she apparently wanted.

Harry remained quiet for a moment before he stood and made to leave the room. When he reached the door he turned with a small smile and responded, "Engagements can be broken, you know?

xxxxxx

The students of Hogwarts found yet another change when they went to their house flats that evening after dinner. The common rooms had been made larger, with more sofas, chairs and desks and the students were astonished to see, a small kitchenette added to the room. It wasn't big enough for them to consider making full meals or stop going to the Great Hall, but they would have snacks and drinks available at all times.

They also found two new sets of stairs leading up to the flats, marked for the fifth through seventh year students. The original staircase had been extended and now went to a new third floor where the first through fourth year students would find their rooms. As the younger children hurried to their flats to see what, if any, other changes had been made, or to see their rooms for the first time, the older students stayed behind to read the note left for them by their headmistress. Neville was the first to the table and read aloud to everyone.

_Dear Students,_

Welcome to your new dormitory. It is my hope that you will enjoy the benefits being an older student has afforded you. As you are aware, a large portion of the castle needed to be rebuilt after the events of last year. We, your teachers and mentors, felt it was time for a change and looked at it as a chance to bring the castle into this century. As your studies are going to be more difficult this year with O.W.L.S, N.E.W.T.S., or preparation for them, we felt you should have a more personal, quiet space in which to study. Considering that, we have made your new dormitories more like flats.

- _**Fifth and sixth year students**__ will have four students to a flat; two to a bedroom and all four will share a bathroom._

- _**Seventh year students**__ will have private bedrooms and will share a bathroom and study area with one other student. The bedrooms and bathroom are on the second floor of the flats; the study/common area below._

- _**The Head Girl and Boy**__ will, as expected, have their own rooms, as well as, their own bathrooms upstairs. Downstairs they will also have their own common room, library and kitchenette at their disposal._

Seventh year students are encouraged to continue to make use of their house common room, as well as the new _**All-House Common Room**__ near the library in order to interact with the students from other houses. Please bear in mind that we look to all of you to set an example for the younger students about civility and new beginnings._

You will find your name on the plaque on the door of your new room. Once you enter your room, you will need to touch your wands to the lock to set your door's password. You will need to do it together for the password to be accepted on the outer doors.

I sincerely hope you are pleased with the changes and look forward to your comments. Should you have any concerns about your flatmates, or wish to switch rooms, please contact your head of house as soon as possible. No changes will be accepted after the first week of school.

Thank you and welcome back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,  
Headmistress Minerva McGonagall  
  
Everyone talked excitedly, as they hurried for the stairs. As they searched the second floor for their rooms, cries of excitement echoed through the halls.

Ron and Harry smiled and laughed, as they found their shared flat, and hurried back to the hall to see where everyone else's rooms were. They were very happy to find out that Seamus and Neville had been placed in the room next to theirs, while Dean and his new flatmate, Andrew Kirke, were across the hall. When they returned to their room, Ron teased Harry about how Dean and Andrew would have loads to talk about, as they compared notes on their previous relationships with Ginny.

They left their bedroom doors open, the bathroom between them, as they unpacked in their new rooms and talked about all the changes to the school so far. When Ron brought up Harry's time with Pansy, Harry was glad there was space between them, so his friend wouldn't see his face. Most people thought Ron was the mentally slower of the pair, because of his quick-to-anger actions, but those who knew him well, knew he was as sharp as a pin. And Ron could read his friends very easily; he would know Harry was holding something back.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably before he called back, "It wasn't anything big. Just her needing to apologize, you know."

"Oh, sorry about that, mate. I know you're getting sick of all that. Gin was pretty upset by the whole thing, too," Ron answered. "Maybe you should go see her."

Harry put his broom in the closet and shut the door as he called back, "I might just do that. What are you going to do?"

Ron was busy cramming his underwear into one of his drawers and slammed it shut with a grunt before he answered, "I need to talk to Hermione."

xxxxxx

"Hermione, can you believe it?! Just you and me in all this space!" Parvati laughed as she flopped back on her queen-sized four-poster bed.

Both women smiled at the sounds of laughter, squeals and pounding footsteps coming from the hall. Hermione stood in the doorway of Parvati's bedroom and laughed with her new flatmate.

"I know what you mean." She glanced back over the banister outside of the room and down at their opulent new surroundings and sighed, "Can you just imagine what Gin's must look like if we get all of this?"

Parvati sat up and looked thoughtfully at Hermione. "Are you really not upset about not getting Head Girl? I mean you've worked so hard for it for the entire time we've been here."

Hermione looked back at Parvati for a moment before she answered. She knew the woman in front of her had grown up a lot in the last few months. They all had. Gone was the giggling, flirtatious, girlish tramp, and in her place was a quiet, more introspective woman.

"No, Vati. I am not upset. I was disappointed for a while, I won't deny that. But, in the grand scheme of things, the decision was the right one. Ginny deserves it and she has worked just as hard. It's her year. Besides, I wasn't even here last year."

Parvati pushed off the bed and came to stand next to Hermione, as they both leaned over the banister and looked down, "Well, good, I guess. And, Ginny will do a good job if she can control her temper. I will tell you that I am glad I got you for a flatmate. She would be simply tiring."

Hermione laughed softly and nodded, "Tell me about it. I roomed with her most of the summer." Then Hermione turned her head to look at Parvati, "And, you? You won't miss Lavender and all your gossip sessions."

"Oh, we'll still have those," Parvati smiled and laughed, "but, no, I won't miss rooming with her. Actually, I'm kind of hoping some of your study techniques rub off on me. Time to get a little more serious, you know? And, you never know, maybe I'll rub off on you some, too."

"What do you mean?"

Parvati shook her head and her face softened, "Hermione Jean Granger, this year you will learn to have simple fun for no other reason than you can. You teach me to be more studious and I'll teach you how to be a teenager."

Hermione didn't bristle at her comments, as she knew who and what she was. She knew what people thought of her. And, for the first time in her memory, she was ready to change that perception.

"You know what, Parvati? You have deal."

They giggled as they shook on it. Then Parvati headed back into her room and said over her shoulder, "Sooooo?"

Hermione followed, "So what?"

Parvati grinned and began to fold her clothes, "You and Ron. I saw you guys on the train. You guys looked so cute together!"

Hermione smiled, but didn't make eye contact, "Thanks, I guess."

"Don't act so excited, Hermione. Really," Parvati drawled jokingly.

"Sorry," Hermione laughed. "I just…"

She was relieved to hear a knock on the door which spared her from having to think of an end to her sentence.

xxxxxx

"Finish that sentence and I will make sure you live to regret it!"

Draco turned from the angry man in front of him to see Theo walking into the room with his wand drawn.

"It's okay, Theo…" Draco started tiredly.

"No, it is not!" Theo said as he roughly pushed Draco aside to continue his advance on Draco's flatmate, Malcolm Baddock, a halfblood. "You will apologize!"

"I will not!" Malcolm spit back. "I see no reason why I should have to apologize to this tosser! Him with all his pureblood bullshit! Just because he never got the mark, doesn't mean he's any less a Death Eat…"

His voice was cutoff as he flew back across the room, the result of the hex Theo had shouted at him.

Draco lunged forward to stop Theo from attacking again as Malcolm righted himself.

"I will not room with this filth!" Malcolm shouted as he pushed past both men and headed out the door.

Draco sighed and pushed his hair back off his face. Then, with a practiced flick of his wand, set the couch back on its feet from Malcolm slamming into it. Theo remained quiet as he took several deep breaths to calm himself. It was not like him to lose control of his emotions, but being a creature of habit and routine, all the sudden changes had taken their toll on him and put him on edge.

He had been passing the room on his way to his own when he had heard Malcolm calling Draco "Death Eater scum" from the open doorway. It had been the last straw and he'd seen red and reacted. Now, with only the two of them there, he wasn't sure how to feel or what to say. They had never been close, but knowing all that Draco had suffered and lost, he'd felt the need to protect the man who seemed unwilling, or unable, to defend himself.

"I am sorry to have intruded," Theo began with his back to Draco. "It was not my place to…"

"Thank you, Theo," Draco interrupted quietly.

Both men remained quiet for a moment before Theo straightened and turned to walk to the door, "Well then, I will just go see about switching to this room."

Draco almost smiled when he saw Theo stop, but not turn, as he waited for Draco to respond. "Professor Snape will most likely be available in his classroom."

Theo nodded once and then left, shutting the door softly behind him. Draco sat down heavily on the stairs to the bedrooms and frowned at the events of the past few minutes. It wasn't like him to be caught unawares. It wasn't normal for him to feel so disconnected, so unattached. He had been completely blindsided by Malcolm's refusal to room with him and harsh insults within moments of setting his things down.

Draco hadn't shown any emotions as the letter in the common room was read by a loud, laughing Millicent. Most of the younger students had immediately stormed the stairs to find their rooms. But, Draco and the rest of the older seventh years had quietly gathered their belongings and in what they thought was a dignified fashion, made their way up to the floor with their rooms. While shouting could be heard from various corners of the flats, their area was relatively silent. Even Millicent barely made a sound, as she pushed Pansy out of the way to get up the stairs to their room.

He hadn't shown any feelings, but the excitement Draco felt couldn't be denied. For the first time in his life, he would have a place of his own, where he wasn't watched or judged. He had assumed his flatmate would be Gregory Goyle, but had been mildly surprised to see Malcolm's name on the door. In all the years he had shared a house with the boy, Draco had never gotten to know him, as he was not a pureblood. But, along with all the other changes in his life, he figured it was time. It had never occurred to him that Malcolm wouldn't want to get to know him.

Draco shook his head and pushed off the stairs. Taking up a plate of snacks from their kitchenette, he turned and headed up the stairs to see his room. After he closed his door and set his password he sat on the edge of the bed and looked around.

"So much for new beginnings."

xxxxxx

"But, they didn't say we have to be friends," Blaise insisted as he sat across from Ginny in their common room.

"No, Zabini, they didn't," Ginny conceded. With her teeth clenched she forced herself to calm down and said, "But, as we are going to be sharing this space, and we are going to want to have our friends in, I would think a little civility and common courtesy wouldn't be out of order."

"I agree, okay, Mother?!" Blaise said loudly. "Can I just go get unpacked now?"

They had been going around and around on the same topic for a while, and he was tired of talking about it. The excitable redhead across from him had basically accosted him the moment he had stepped in the room. She had demanded that they "come to agreement" on things, and they had been at it ever since. He didn't want to spend time getting to know her. He certainly didn't want to get to know her friends any better. And, he most definitely didn't want to be working with Potter's woman as his co-Head. But, he knew after the last year, that you don't always get what you want, so he'd stopped his immediate response and let the witch talk.

Now, twenty minutes later he was done. It was soon after he found himself wondering how Potter put up with her and all her shrieking, that he finally agreed, just to shut her up.

"Grow up!" Ginny huffed. "You act as if I want to spend my time with a loser like you. I don't know about you Zabini, but I do not intend to waste this opportunity. Getting this head position wasn't easy for me, you know. I had quite a few hundred other things on my mind last year."

"Yeah, waiting to see if Wonder Boy was coming back to you," Blaise mumbled irritably. Then he idly wondered if actual steam would come out of her ears when her face could go no redder.

"You ass!" she finally shrieked. Before she could finish the short sentence her wand was in her hand and pointed at his throat. It was the deadly quiet of her next sentence that made him sit up a bit straighter and swallow heavily.

"I can take whatever you can throw at me, Zabini, about me, my family, my allegiances, whatever. I will even allow you your stupid Slytherin pride in the halls of this school and not speak to you unless there is a death at stake. But, if you EVER malign Harry near me, make no mistake, you will not have the chance or tongue to do so again."

He didn't get to respond as she lowered her wand and stepped to the portrait. With one last glare of contempt she left the room and slammed the portrait hard enough to make the windows rattle.

With the immediate threat of death now removed, Blaise breathed out a slow breath and walked to the window of their common room. Nothing about this year was turning out as he had expected. Twice in one night he had underestimated the Gryffindor women he thought he knew. Hermione had been entirely different close up than he had thought she would be. He had expected arrogance, snobbery, put downs, and rudeness. He had expected her to be the know-it-all bookworm he remembered. He had expected her to gloat over their win. He had not expected to sit through dinner and find out that she was patient, kind, had a bad girl streak, and would offer a supporting hand to someone who would have, only a year ago, have hexed said hand. "Stupid bitch," he mumbled.

And, Ginny. He hadn't known that much about her. He had been aware of the fact that she was Potter's girlfriend, the Weasel's sister, Granger's best girl friend, fairly good at Quidditch, not completely stupid, and not as rash as her brother, but often just as loud. He'd also acknowledged that she had a nice body. What he hadn't known was how much rage was contained in that tiny, well-shaped body. He hadn't known how quick-to-anger she could be, or how scary when pressed. He hadn't known she would turn on her own house for something as innocent as a perceived injustice against a fellow student. He hadn't known a simple murmur from Potter could shut her down.

In his mind, and the minds of most Slytherins, Gryffindors were happy beings. They were relatively smart, loyal, and brave to the point of stupidity; but they were also rash, prone to easy forgiveness, and soft. The war had proven the first half, but completely disproved the second. And his first encounters with them tonight had shown him how wrong many of his assumptions had been. He shook his head as he got up and headed up to his room. It was disconcerting to know that he didn't know all he thought he did. His anger escalated in his confusion and he slammed his bedroom door behind him. He and his mother had only been back in the English wizarding world for a few weeks. The changes had been so drastic they had left him shaken and her dazed. But while he had chosen to ignore it all, she had tried to embrace it. Neither had succeeded.

xxxxxx


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 4  
**  
"I just don't know, okay?!" Pansy snapped before she turned away to sit on the sofa in front of the fireplace.

Millicent turned and stomped halfway up the stairs before she stopped, turned and said, "You know, Pansy, some might think it odd that a person's fiancée doesn't know what might be wrong with them. I'm just saying."

Pansy didn't turn to look at the other woman, as she made her way up to her bedroom and shut the door. She instead let out a slow breath and leaned back, with her eyes closed in the ensuing silence. She knew it was her duty to go find Draco and make sure he was okay. She knew it was expected that she would be there for him to lean on in his continued grief. And, part of her did want to go to him, if only to make sure he was not in shock from the surprise of seeing Dumbledore and Snape alive and well.

But the greater part of her battled between just going to bed and curling into a ball, and going out for a walk down by the lake to clear her head. Deciding on the latter she quickly stood and hurried out of the room and down the short hallway to the stairs. She knew no one would stop her or question her, as they would assume she was going to see Draco. In only a few moments, she was out of the common room and climbing the stairs from their dungeon location.

As she hit the top step she saw the waning outside light through the windows and quickened her steps to the front foyer. With her eyes on her imminent freedom she didn't notice the rapid fire footsteps coming down the other hall.

When they met at the corner, Ginny jerked to a halt and glared at Pansy. "What are you doing lurking in the halls?"

"I, uh, I just wanted…" Pansy trailed off in shock and a little fear at the anger she felt from the shorter woman. Her shoulders fell as she finally whispered, "I'm sorry," and turned to go back to her room.

Pansy's sadness, stuttered answer, and sudden retreat startled Ginny out of her rage, "Hey, wait."

Pansy stopped and turned, but Ginny noted that she glanced around nervously and took a step backwards from the Head Girl.

"I didn't do anything," Pansy began.

Ginny took another small step forward and shook her head, "No, I didn't say you did. I was just...look, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I've had a rather difficult night and I took it out on you. Where were you going?"  
**  
**"Just outside," Pansy said defensively. "It's not against the rules!"

"I didn't say it was, Parkinson. I was just asking."

Pansy nodded, but didn't move from her spot. Ginny sighed and looked out of the windows before she looked back at Pansy.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Pansy looked ready to run as her eyes darted around the hall looking for an escape, but she nodded slowly.

"I know Euan asked this earlier, but you didn't answer. And, we are alone now, so there's no reason to lie. Did you really mean to turn Harry over to Voldemort? I mean, was that your plan?"

Pansy was shaking her head before Ginny even finished the question. Finally, someone had asked. "No. Never! I wasn't thinking. I was just so scared and I…I don't know. I've gone over it a million times and I don't know. I wanted Harry to win so badly, you have to believe me. I did. But, I was so scared and I just panicked, Ginny, I…"

Her voice trailed off in horror, as she realized she had broken a cardinal Howarts house rule. Never address anyone from another house in a friendly manner unless you were friends with, related to or dating them.

"I mean…I…"

Ginny finally smiled, "I believe you, Parki…Pansy." She watched the color slowly come back to the dark haired girl's face and tilted her head a little, "New beginnings, right?"

Pansy nodded and offered a small, tremulous smile, "Yeah."

When Pansy's eyes fell away again to examine the stone floor, Ginny made a decision. "Hey. How about we go to the lake together? We can, um, start to get to know each other or something. I don't have rounds tonight and I need to walk."

Pansy looked both hopeful and apprehensive, "Us? Together?"

Ginny laughed and held out her hand, "Okay, how about this? Hi. I'm Ginny Weasley. I'm seventeen, Head Girl, an amazing quidditch player, dating Harry Potter, have a huge family and great friends, have a bit of a temper, and hate potions class. And, you are?"

Pansy giggled softly, "That makes two of us actually, and I'm Pansy Parkinson. Um, I'm almost eighteen, I, uh, like to read and paint. I actually like arithmancy and transfiguration and am sorry to say I really dislike most sports. I don't think I know what I want to do after Hogwarts, but I would like to try this new beginnings thing. And, I hope we can…"

Ginny waited to see if Pansy would finish her sentence as she watched the blush creep up the other woman's face. Finally she prodded, "Hope we can what?"

"Nothing," Pansy shook her head. "Both ways I was going to say it sounded childish, I guess."

"Say what, Pansy?"

The use of her first name straightened her shoulders and Pansy looked solemnly at Ginny. This was an opportunity better than she could have dreamed. "I hope we can get to know each other. I would like to become your friend."

Ginny successfully covered her surprise with a tentative smile and nod. "How about we take that walk?"

When Pansy smiled back shyly they fell in step and continued to the main lobby. Part of the way there Ginny gave a playful wink, "As a sign of our burgeoning friendship, how about you tell me the secret to getting along with my new flatmate?"

Pansy's soft laugh carried them out of the door and down the stairs.

xxxxxx

Hermione came down the stairs and saw Ron waiting on one of the sofas in the common room. When Natalie, Lavender's flatmate, had knocked on the door, Hermione had been very happy for the interruption. But, when Natalie had given her Ron's message that he wanted her to come meet him in the common room, she almost wished she could ignore it and go back to talking to Parvati.

With his back to her, Hermione still had time to turn back, but she knew they needed to talk. It might not be the alone time Ron had planned, but she needed to get some things off her chest. Pushing back the nagging voice that told her to continue to wait, she took the final steps down the stairs and moved across the room to him.

"Ron?"

He turned and smiled as he got up, "Hey Mione. Come on, sit with me."

Hermione smiled and sat next to him on the sofa. Her face and heart softened when he took her hand and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss. He was so sweet and she really didn't want to hurt him or lose him as a friend. Part of her wanted to just forget 'the talk', but she knew it needed to be done.

She pulled her hand out of his and clasped hers together, "Um, Ron, we…"

Ron pushed his hand into his hair as he interrupted her, "Listen, Mione. I have something I need to tell you; some things I need to say. But, I need to say it quickly, and I know I might say some things wrong, but let me finish before you get upset, okay?"

"Okay, but Ron, what…"

He cut her off again as he pushed off the sofa and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He stared at the fire in the fireplace as he spoke, "I think we should break up. I love you, Mione. And, I know you love me, but it's not working. Not really. And, it's not you, it's me, I think. I want something permanent which you aren't ready to give me, and, I think you want someone I can't be. And, I was thinking about all this new beginning stuff and um…"

He trailed off as he turned to face her. He expected tears or anger, but he was met with a blank stare. "Hermione? Are you okay? Say something."

Hermione finally focused on Ron and whispered, "I love you, too, Ron."

Misinterpreting her whisper for anguish, he sank down on his knees and took her hands in his, "I know it will be rough, but we will be okay, I promise. We love each other too much to not be, right? We can still be friends, can't we?"

Hermione smiled and nodded, "We'll be fine, Ron. And, you were right, it wasn't working. But, don't think it's you. You are perfect just as you are. We're just not quite perfect for each other."

Ron blew out the breath he'd been holding, "So, we're breaking up then?"

"Yeah, I guess we are," she answered softly. Then a tear slid down her cheek as she asked, "But, we're still the best of friends right?"

He pulled her into a hug and nodded against her shoulder, "Always."

He held her while she cried against his shoulder. He didn't want her to hurt, and he didn't want to be the cause of her pain, but he believed he was making the right choice.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked a short while later.

Hermione laughed a little and blew her nose, "Yeah, I'm fine. I don't even know why I'm crying really. I actually came down here prepared to tell you the same things."

"You did?" he asked in shock. He never thought she would be the one to break things off with him.

Hermione nodded, "Great minds, huh?"

Ron shrugged, "I guess. So, what now?"

"What do you mean?"

Ron looked at her for a moment before he asked, "What do we do now that we aren't dating anymore? Is it going to get all awkward, you know, like where we can't talk to each other and stuff, like back in fifth year?"

Hermione laughed a real laugh and elbowed him in the side softly. "I'd hex you silly if you tried to go back to acting like that! No, Ron, we're adults now; we act like it."

"Okay, good. But, do we announce it or something?"

Hermione stood as she shrugged, "I don't have all the answers, Ron. I guess for now you tell Harry and I will go tell Ginny. Everyone else will figure it out. Okay?"

Ron stood and nodded, "Okay."

They gave each other a short hug before Hermione turned to leave the common room.

"You're going to tell her now?" Ron asked.

She nodded, "Better now than tomorrow in front of everyone at breakfast, right?"

He agreed and with a quick smile, she was gone.

Neither had expected things to go so smoothly. And, as awkward as things might be for a short time, they were both glad it was done. They knew their friendship would survive.

Hermione closed the portrait and leaned back against the wall next to it. With her eyes closed for a moment she took in the comforting sounds of the school she'd missed so much while on the run; the soft sounds of the many birds and other animals, the murmurs of voices behind her, even the soft hiss of the flames from the many candelabras. She took in a deep breath and held it as she let herself settle. There had been many times over the past year that she hadn't been sure she would ever hear them again. Her mother always told her that change was more often than not, a good thing. But, there had been so much change recently, that Hermione wasn't quite sure how she felt about this last one. She knew Ron and she were not a good match, and that their decision was the right one, but still…

"Another door closed," she whispered softly to herself.

The Fat Lady's snort brought her out of her reverie. "Of course, it's closed, dear. You pulled it shut yourself."

Hermione laughed softly and nodded at the woman in the portrait, "True."

"And, where are you off to? It's near to curfew."

"I know. I'm just going to see Ginny Weasley. She's our new Head Girl," Hermione smiled.

The Fat Lady nodded, "Oh, I know. Please tell her congratulations for me and that I hope she still visits sometime."

Hermione pushed away from the wall and waved, "Will do."

As she walked the halls there were few students about. Thankfully, the ones she did see were too caught up in their own business to wonder about hers. Hermione reached the turn Ginny had told her to take, past the Charms classroom and headed up the corridor. As she neared the stairs leading to the dungeons she heard people hurrying up themselves and slowed her steps so they would not barrel her down in their haste.

xxxxxx

Being stuck in his room, as if he had reason to hide, was not in Draco's nature. He might not be everyone's favorite person, but he had friends. Well, he had friend-type people. He didn't know how to qualify his relationship with Blaise. But he knew he needed someone to talk to who would not judge him, if only for a short time. With that thought he closed the book he hadn't been reading anyway and left the room. He passed the rooms of other students and saw the happiness in them at being back at school. His house was normally not a gregarious one, at least not without alcohol in their systems, but all of the changes, and the new feeling of freedom many felt, made for quite the party atmosphere. Draco noticed that many people wouldn't look him in the eye, and he admitted to himself that it hurt a bit. Not so much because he felt the loss of their respect or fear, but more so because he felt so alone. As bleak as the summer had been, he'd had his mother for company. Now…

"No one," he whispered harshly to himself.

"No one, what?" Gregory Goyle asked from behind him.

Draco stilled to keep from jumping at the sudden appearance of Greg.

Greg looked at Draco's pale face and asked, "Why are you standing on the steps like this? And, no one what?"

Draco glanced around and noticed that he had been so lost in thought that he'd reached the common room without realizing it. There were very few people about, as most were up in the rooms.

He turned to Greg, "Nothing. I was just…I was going to see Blaise."

Draco watched and waited as the boy he'd grown up with seemed to struggle with something. At some point, Greg had grown into a man and Draco hadn't noticed. He almost smiled when he realized the boyish fat had indeed turned into the muscle it had promised to become. And, he fleetingly thought it was odd that he'd never before noticed he was taller than his former body guard.

As he looked at Greg and tried to figure out the last time he'd seen his friend he had a quick flash of memory. For the first time since it had happened, Draco allowed himself to think about the missing third to their trio, Vincent Crabbe. He felt a stab of guilt that he hadn't given the boy who'd died in the war much thought after that night. All the years they'd spent together and he hadn't even attended the funeral. Draco had had many other things to contend with, and the fact that he had lost someone who he had spent the majority of his young life with had simply faded in the background.

Most people thought Draco the brains of the group, and Vince and Greg only muscle, but no one really knew them. Vince had been as hotheaded as a Weasley, but loyal to a fault. He was also the most insecure of the three. It had been his zeal for approval; Draco's, his parents', and Voldemort's that had ultimately led to his death.

Greg was the quieter of the two, and the most intelligent of the three. He would have died of embarrassment if anyone found out, because it would have ruined his reputation as a bad-ass Slytherin, but his photographic memory made it easy for him to never study. He didn't talk a lot, because he was not one for attention, and when he did it was most often to Draco, Blaise, or Theo. His school life had been easy enough as teachers never asked him to answer questions in class, as long as his work was done. It was widely assumed by most people, teachers included, that Draco did all his work for him, and Greg didn't care as long as he got his grades and stayed in the background.

Greg never discussed his feelings or thought on things, but that didn't mean he didn't have them. Draco supposed this was why Greg was seeking him out now, for some kind of closure. Draco wasn't really in the mood to talk, but felt the other man deserved to be heard after all their time together.

Bracing himself, Draco sighed, "Just spit it out, Greg."

"I'm sorry," the heavier, dark-haired boy mumbled.

"I know it…I'm…what?" Draco asked nonplussed.

Greg put his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground as he spoke quickly, "I said I'm sorry. I should have checked on you this summer, and I never did. And, after Vince…well, I wasn't a very good friend to you and I'm sorry. I just needed some time, you know?"

Draco stared at him at a loss as to what to say for a moment. With a small smile he realized he wasn't the only one confused about life in general. "It's fine, Greg. It's not like I was any better," Draco admitted, his tone soft and forgiving.

"So…" Greg said finally looking at Draco once more.

"So," Draco answered, "I'm off to see the Head boy's digs. Want to come?"

Greg's relieved smile and nod made Draco laugh for the first time in a long while. With his first true smile since he'd returned to school he straightened to his full height, 6' 2" and punched his friend playfully on the arm. Greg glanced at the clock over the portrait and saw that they were nearing curfew. He almost mentioned it, but when he looked back at Draco, he found his friend wearing a smirk of challenge.

"Race you to the top."

Both young men took off running for the portrait and the stairs, remembering their many years of roaming the halls after curfew. Neither cared that they looked silly or were acting like children, as it felt too good to have a small moment of happiness. With twin shouts of laughter they plowed up the stairs pushing each other back to get there first. As they rounded the bend in the stairs nearing the top Draco was one step ahead and turned to laugh in triumph. He never saw the person at the top as he barreled into them and the three went careening to the floor in a heap.

Draco was unhurt, but a bit dazed and short of breath, as he'd landed on top of a soft, squealing body, his face lost in a mass of curly, soft brown hair and a cloud of strawberries and subtle perfume. No sooner than he'd landed on whoever the poor girl was, he found himself flattened against her as Greg landed heavily across them both.

Greg was the first to untangle himself and he reached down to help Draco up. Draco braced his hands on either side of his hapless victim and pushed back to stare down into the pained face of Hermione Granger. Her eyes were closed, but she appeared to be breathing normally, if a bit heavily. He sighed in relief that he hadn't inadvertently killed her and froze as her eyes opened and met his.

He was too flustered by her stare to do more than mutter, "Granger…I…" and then fell silent.

Hermione simply blinked at him, still in shock from being mowed down despite her best efforts.

Thankfully, Greg broke the sudden silence. "Hermi…I mean, Granger, oh Merlin, are you okay?"

Draco found himself suddenly flung off of her warm body and facing the wall he'd been tossed toward. In shock he turned to see Greg picking her up off the floor, the entire time apologizing and trying to check her for injuries.

Hermione finally snapped out of her silence when one of Greg's hands brushed roughly over her backside. Jumping from his patting hands, she reprimanded, "Goyle!"

He seemed to realize what he'd been doing and turned an unbecoming shade of red as he lifted his hands from her so quickly she fell back into Draco. Instinctively his arm came up around her waist to help right her and she found herself pulled back against his hard body.

She felt, more than heard, his sharp intake of breath and the shudder that ran through him. A tingle of awareness at the strength in his masculine frame ran through her for an instant before she remembered herself and stood on her own.

Draco was embarrassed, confused and still in a bit of shock from their collision. His body had reacted almost instantly to her body under him on the floor, and then again when she'd been pushed back into him. The light scent she wore made him almost groan in pleasure. But, more than anything else, he felt saddened that the simple touch of another person had sent him reeling in such a way. His mother, while loving, was not one for displays of affection, and more often than not would pat the back of his hand, or touch his hair lightly on her way to bed. The fact that the person who'd caused this reaction was Hermione Granger was not lost on him, but with all the feelings swamping him at that moment in time he didn't care to think on that, too.

When she was righted and glanced back over her shoulder up at him, he again found himself at a loss for what to say as he looked into her warm, brown eyes. Both Hermione and Draco were saved from having to speak to each other though as Greg couldn't seem to stop talking. They both watched with varied degrees of shock as he stammered and moved his hands around in his agitation.

"I am so sorry. We weren't thinking. I mean, we didn't see you. Not that we could have known you were coming around the corner that way. I'm not saying it was your fault, of course. And, I hope we didn't hurt you. You aren't hurt are you? And, I didn't mean to touch you that way. I was just checking to make sure you weren't hurt. I'm afraid you will have a bruise your arm from the fall, and that stinks because you look really amazing, as usual, and I would hate to think that I was the cause of your injury. Not after all you went through last year, and I know you have no reason to forgive me, but I am really sorry if we hurt you. Please try to…"

"Goyle, stop!" Hermione finally cut in to stop his nervous chatter. She hadn't missed the 'as usual', and the girly part of her preened a bit. "It's okay, really. I heard you coming and simply didn't move fast enough. It's no one's fault, okay?"

He looked from her face to her hand on his arm and flushed again as he nodded, suddenly mute.

She smiled up at him and laughed lightly, "Are you okay? You fell, too, you know?"

He again nodded, but this time a small smile graced his face.

Hermione was not interested in Gregory Goyle in any way, shape, or form, but she couldn't help the feeling of lightness she felt at his shy smile. "In the spirit of new beginnings, I would like to call a truce with you, Goyle. After last year…"

"Greg," he interrupted softly as he stared down at her.

"..I think we…what?" she asked in confusion.

He actually laughed softly, before he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor, "You lot saved my life last year. I will never forget that. I was…caught up and you helped me. Things changed after that and I saw you differ…I mean, um, well, with the new beginnings and all, like you said, I just wanted you to know you can call me Greg if you want, Granger."

Hermione smiled at him, "Then you should call me Hermione, don't you think?"

He smiled again and nodded.

She tilted her head and said with a teasing smile as she rode the feeling of being flirted with, even if it was Gregory Goyle, "You know, Greg, I think I've heard more words from you in the last five minutes, than in all our days of school."

Both jumped slightly when Draco grunted a laugh from behind them, as they had forgotten his presence for a moment.

"So, um," Greg asked softly, desperate to keep her attention on him for a few moments more, "where were you going, Hermione, when we knocked you down?"

She again smiled up at him, but before she could answer they were interrupted by loud laughter coming from around the corner.

Ginny and Pansy were bent over giggling when they rounded the bend and ran into the group. Their laughter died as they eyed the group staring at them in shock.

Ginny took in the sight of her best friend between the two large Slytherins and her hand inched toward her wand as she asked, "Mione?"

Hermione stepped forward her hand outstretched to still her friend's reaction, "Hey Gin. I was just coming to see you when I ran into these two."

Ginny's eyes widened as both men laughed nervously behind Hermione. She noticed that while Draco stared at the wall behind them, Greg stared at Hermione almost like a lovesick puppy. She also noted that Hermione appeared fine, so she relaxed a bit.

"Well, Pansy and I were going to go back to my common room to get a bite, want to come with?"

Hermione's face registered her surprise at their familiarity and her eyes went to Pansy's tense face. She understood the discomfort Pansy must have felt, but what shocked her was the fear she could almost feel rolling off of Pansy as her eyes moved apprehensively between Draco and Hermione.

Finding her tongue Hermione plastered on her smile and answered, "Of course, Gin. I'm dying to see your rooms. I'm sure Parkin…Pansy is, too, right?"

Pansy's breath whooshed out as she nodded, "Yes. I…"

Greg stepped closer to Hermione and said, "We were headed to see Blaise."

She looked back at him and said, "Well, let's get going then."

Everyone laughed as the group began to move down the hall, and Ginny said in awe, "I didn't know you could speak, Goyle."

He reddened and ducked his head as he nodded.

Pansy leaned closer to Ginny and giggled softly, "You should see him when he's drunk, you can't shut him up."

Hermione lifted a brow at Pansy's actions and wondered what had happened to get the two of them talking. She knew Ginny would fill her in eventually, but she was still curious. With a glance over at the young woman she'd never really spoken to before, she realized she and Draco hadn't even said hello to each other. For two people who were so close, they certainly weren't acting like a couple in love. In her confusion she glanced back over her shoulder at Draco and found him staring at her. Seeing the intensity of his gaze, she missed a step on the stones of the floor in her shock and stumbled a bit. The large hand that righted her brought her back to the rest of the group and she smiled up at Greg in thanks.

His flushed face beamed down at her and she realized she would have to be careful. She didn't have a lot of experience with men, but even she could see his infatuation with her. She was flattered, but not interested. And, having just gotten out of things with Ron, she really wasn't ready for another relationship any time soon. She would need to tread lightly with him, as she didn't know him very well and didn't know how he would take her rejection. With everything changing around them, she wanted to make new friends and have new experiences at school that didn't involve war, prejudice, fear or anger. So she didn't want to start the year by making enemies of people that could well become some of those friends.

With that thought she turned back to Pansy, "So, uh, Pansy, are your rooms all changed, too?"

Pansy looked like a deer caught in headlights when she realized Hermione had spoken to her, but she quickly adjusted her face, even as she shrank behind Ginny a little before she answered. "Yes, Grang…uh, Hermione. I was quite surprised. You?"

"Oh yeah," Hermione answered with a smile, "but, I am going to love having a place to study in other than that drafty, old library."

Pansy nodded and answered, before she could stop herself, "Same here. I always hated hiding in my bed to get my homework done."

She reddened in embarrassment when she realized she'd spoken so freely, but Hermione didn't seem to notice as she asked, "Why would you hide? There's nothing wrong with studying. It is what we're here for, after all, regardless of what some think."

Ginny answered for her, "Bulstrode teases her for being too much like another bookworm I know and love."

"Ginny," Pansy whined softly and clasped her hands in front herself.

Ginny stopped at a portrait of the school grounds and put her hands on her hips, as she turned to Pansy, "I already told you, Pansy, no more hiding. You are who you are and people will accept it or not. And, besides, who better to know what being teased about being smart is all about than Mione?"

Pansy nodded obediently and smiled shyly at Hermione.

Hermione, for her part, just stared back and forth between them as several things hit her at once. Ginny had found a new cause to support. Pansy Parkinson wasn't proud, rude or stupid. She was nervous, shy and intelligent. And, maybe, just maybe, Greg wasn't the only Slytherin Hermione would befriend this year.

With a sudden grin at the nervous girl, Hermione laughed, "It seems I've found the Slytherin version of me."

"Or maybe you're the Gryffindork version of her," Draco mumbled from behind them. As four pairs of eyes turned to look at him, he realized he had actually said it out loud.

No one was surprised by his words, so much as the fact that he had spoken at all. Since he hadn't joined in their conversation during their walk, he'd been basically forgotten, and it simply surprised everyone that he'd uttered a word. In defiance, he lifted his chin and stared back at each one of them, daring someone to attack him.

When no one spoke after a moment he cleared his throat uncomfortably, a bit chagrined at having ruined what had been a relatively good mood for everyone, and sighed, "So, can we get in to see Blaise or what?"

Ginny blinked owlishly at him and then seemed to remember why they were all standing there. "Oh, yeah. Everyone back up please."

Once everyone moved away she leaned in and whispered the password. They all stepped forward quickly to follow her into the Head's rooms. Everyone was eager to see how much better their rooms could be than the new ones they each had. Once they were all through the portrait Ginny pushed it closed and giggled at the matching looks of awe on each face. Even Draco showed his surprise, though he immediately tried to cover it with a look of nonchalance.

The room had been just as much of a shock to Ginny when she had first entered. Blaise hadn't commented, but she knew the lack of house colors had surprised him, as much as her. The common room was done in relaxing light shades of blue, brown and white and there were three comfy looking sofas sitting around the beautiful, brick fireplace. In the middle sat a wide, low, wooden table with simple, artistic carvings along the edge and the legs.

Hermione and Pansy were the first to react as they both shouted, "Oh my God!"

Ginny squealed back, "I know!" and then started pointing out different aspects of the room. Draco and Greg followed quietly behind them as they moved from the common room to the kitchen.

Seeing the large room finally made Greg huff, "No fair! You have your own stove, fridge and everything!"

Hermione laughed, "Man, Gin, you'll never have to go to Great Hall for meals again."

Ginny smiled, but shook her head, "Sadly, not true. We are required to eat at least one meal a day there to promote this new beginning stuff. But, can you imagine Ron's face when he sees this?!"

Hermione jerked a little at the mention of Ron's name, but laughed along, "He'll be begging you to make him food all the time."

Draco noticed Hermione's slight stiffening, but refrained from asking about it. He was still not over the fact that his body had turned traitor and felt something when they'd touched. As it was, he was trying to find a polite way to pull away from the group, because her scent was stuck in his head as he followed them around the place. What he couldn't figure out was why Weaslette's perfume didn't make him want to sniff her neck. Or, why he had never noticed whether Pansy wore a scent or not, in all the time they'd spent together.

Draco was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the conversation continue or the group leave the room. When the silence descended he quickly turned and followed them out only to see the back of Greg as they entered the Heads' library. He knew it would contain walls and walls of books when he heard both Pansy and Hermione let out twin squeals of joy. He rolled his eyes, stuck his hands in his pockets and started across the room, but his progress was halted by a shout from above.

xxxxxx


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5  
**  
"Dammit, Weaslette! I will not have your friends gathering in MY rooms! And, stop that infernal screaming!"

Draco looked up when he heard a door slam above and smiled a bit at his friend's anger.

"This is NOT a Gryffindork hang out and you will take you and your friends' sorry asses out of…"

He stopped dead with one foot on the top step as he stared down at a smirking Draco. "What? How? I heard…"

"Hello to you, too," Draco laughed softly. "I should kick your ass for calling me a Gryffindor."

"Where is she?" Blaise asked, still confused by Draco being in the room alone.

Just then the library door opened and Ginny walked out laughing, followed by Pansy, Hermione, and then Greg, who had held the door for them. If the first two hadn't shocked him silent, the last two sure did. They were all laughing like old friends and Blaise's jaw dropped open when Greg teased both Pansy and Hermione.

"With all those books no one will ever see either of you again. But, at least everyone will know where to find you."

No one noticed the silent Draco and Blaise as they moved to the sofas and Pansy asked, "Would you really study with me, Hermione?"

"Sure," Hermione answered with a nod, "as long as you help me with Arithmancy, even though you aren't taking it anymore."

"Like you need help with anything," Pansy smiled.

Ginny laughed, "Oh you'd be surprised. She's brilliant, of course, but even the Great Hermione Granger gets test anxiety."

Greg turned toward her on the sofa they shared, "Really? You never show it."

Blaise looked down to see Draco staring at all of them with a thoughtful look on his face and finally had enough.

"What the hell is going on here?!" he demanded loudly from his position on the stairs. When everyone just turned to stare at him he started down the steps toward Draco. "Someone want to tell me when I stepped into the freakin' Twilight Zone?"

Greg tilted his head, "What's that?" just as Pansy looked to Ginny, "What zone?"

Hermione shook her head at them, "It's a muggle thing. How he knows about it, I have no idea."

Then she stood up and walked toward Blaise with a bright smile, "Hello again, Zabini. We were all just admiring your new rooms. Pansy and I want dibs on the library and Greg wants the kitchen. Ginny says she gets to keep her bedroom and bathroom, and Malfoy hasn't yet expressed his favorite place. How are you enjoying all the new changes?"

Draco didn't miss the fact that she referred to him by his last name and stamped down the flash of irritation he felt. Instead he turned to face Blaise as the darker man simply stared at her.

With a smirk he said, "Well, Blaise, I think the VP here just asked you a question."

"Draco!" Pansy admonished at his slur on Hermione. Ginny sneered and let out a growl at him. But, it was the flash of hurt in Hermione's eyes, before the unconcerned look fell back over her features, that almost made him blurt out an apology.

Before Draco could say anything stupid, Greg asked the room at large, "I've always wondered what that stood for. Is it bad? I mean, we've called you it for years. Should I be apologizing?"

Hermione's eyes stayed on Draco as she answered softly, "No, Greg, no need to apologize now. But, you shouldn't tease people about things if you don't know what you're saying."

Draco watched her straighten her shoulders and had a quick image of her strapping on her courage as she lifted her chin a bit, "It stands for Virgin Princess."

Everyone was quiet for a moment and no one looked away from Draco and Hermione's staring contest. When Draco was the first to break contact by glancing over at Blaise, Hermione took a breath and turned away from him. "Pansy, I am sorry to say, as much as I think I will like you, I can't say I will ever understand your taste in sleazy, condescending, jerks."

When Pansy simply shrugged and looked down at the floor, Ginny stepped forward, "How about we go see my room, girls?"

No one spoke again as the girls ascended the steps and disappeared into Ginny's room.

Blaise sat down on the steps and looked at his two friends, "Someone want to tell me what the hell just happened?"

Draco sighed and moved over to the sofas, "I have no idea."

Greg stuffed his hands in his pockets, looked down at the ground, and rocked back on his heels, "I was kind of having fun."

Draco snorted, "You just want to get in Granger's pants."

"It's not like that," Greg mumbled as his face turned red once again. "I just…she's…"

Blaise stood and walked past Greg, "She's a hot, famous virgin and you want to hit it."

"No, I…" Greg began, but then stopped talking as he too moved to the sofas.

In the quiet Blaise sighed heavily, "So?"

xxxxxx

"…and so, we kind of have to get married. It's not, you know, a love match, or anything."

Hermione and Ginny both wore matching looks of horror as they sat together on Ginny's large bed. Pansy's whispered confession had stunned them. Arranged marriages were one of those things people talked about, but no one believed actually happened anymore, at least not in England. With all the other changes brought about recently in their lives, neither could comprehend anyone sticking to such old-fashioned practices.

"Wait," Ginny finally said, "You don't want to marry him? You aren't in love with him?"

Pansy hugged one of the red and gold throw pillows from Ginny's bed closer and shook her head. She refused to look at either of them and her hopelessness was palpable.

"Do you even like him?" Hermione asked softly.

"Sometimes," Pansy admitted. "I mean, yes, I guess. He's very polite to me most of the time. And, we've known one another since we were in diapers."

Hermione reached out and touched Pansy's leg, "But, surely if your parents knew how you felt, they'd…"

"No, they wouldn't," Pansy sighed and finally looked up at them. "You guys don't understand."

Ginny scooted back so that she sat next to Pansy and mirrored her position against the headboard. "So, explain it to us."

Pansy locked eyes with Hermione, went solid white and quickly moved to get off the bed, "No. I…um, it's past curfew, I should be going."

Hermione stood and blocked her path. She made sure to keep her voice even and soft as she asked, "Is this a pureblood thing?"

Pansy winced and stepped back, "I'm so sorry."

Ginny reached out and pulled Pansy back down on the bed, "First, as Head Girl, you have my permission to be out of your rooms after curfew. Second, Pansy, pureblood is not a dirty word. Not to me or her. I am one, too, remember? Stop apologizing for who you are. And, last, if you are going to be our friend, you will learn that Mione and I talk to each other about all kinds of things; even things that make us uncomfortable sometimes. So, take a deep breath and explain."

Pansy wiped at the tears that slid down her face and nodded. Hermione conjured some tissues and handed them to her with a smile before she retook her seat at the end of the bed. "Your thoughts and feelings are yours and your alone, Pansy. No one should tell you what or how to feel or what to think. That's what we fought for, remember?"

With a nod, Pansy smiled gratefully at Hermione and then looked back down at her hands. "How is it that the only two people I feel like I can talk to are two people I've never spoken to until tonight?"

Both Hermione and Ginny laughed a little, but Pansy continued lost in her thoughts and the freedom to finally be able to talk to someone about them.

"It's weird, you know? I've always wanted to be a part of something like you guys have. Real friendship with people you honestly like, not just polite acquaintances with the _right_ people." She missed the raised eyebrows of her listeners as she continued, "Merlin, I hated you guys. You had everything; each other, intelligence, happiness. Everyone loved you, even the professors. I just wanted a little of that, you know? I didn't think I'd ever have a chance to really get to know you, so it was easier to hate you than envy you. And, being in my house it was easy to do. I think everyone there secretly wanted to be a part of your group, at least for the friendship part. Your lives are the stuff of legend. Potter's…well…he's the cute hero who saved everyone. Hermione's the smart, funny, pretty one. Ginny's the strong, brave, sexy one. And, Ro…Ron…he's, well, he's also strong, and brave, and loyal. And, he's cute, too, with all that messy red hair and that body that…"

Pansy stopped and turned red as she realized what she had said and to whom she'd said it.

Locking eyes with Hermione she whispered, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"It's okay, Pansy," Hermione said. Then everything from the day clicked into place and in her shock she blurted out, "You like Ron?!"

"No, I…"

"You do!" Ginny breathed out as Pansy's dark blue eyes widened in her panic.

Pansy began to ease off the bed and cower against the hexes she knew were coming her way, but her progress was stopped by Hermione's sudden guffaws of laughter. Her fear and embarrassment turned to hurt and anger and she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Stop laughing at me!"

Hermione tried to calm herself, "I'm…I'm no…not. Really."

Ginny wasn't sure what to make of her friend's giggles, but looked at Pansy with sorrow, "So, you like my brother, Hermione's boyfriend, but you have to marry that git downstairs. No wonder you're all messed up."

Pansy nodded miserably, but looked at Hermione sharply when she finally stopped laughing and sighed, "Wrong."

"No, Hermione, she's right. I know it's probably weird for you to hear, but yeah I've had a crush on Ron for a couple of years." Then she slumped back down on the bed and grabbed another pillow to hug as she sighed, "But, you two are together and I have to marry that git downstairs. It's what I meant before about it being a pureblood thing. My parents don't care about who or what I want. All they care about is that I marry another pureblood and produce at least three, that's my requirement, three, pureblood children. And, even though Draco's family isn't powerful or rich anymore, my father won't let me out of it."

Ginny sputtered, "But, how can they expect you to marry someone you barely even like? There's still plenty of pureblood men out there. Maybe if you fell in love with one of them your parents would back off. Besides, you're officially an adult, Pansy, you don't have to listen to them."

Pansy sighed. "They'd cut me off completely if I went against them, Ginny. I mean maybe if I found someone better they'd let me marry him instead, but until then, I'm stuck with Draco and he with me."

"You don't need their money, Pansy. You're over 17, so you should have gotten all your money already."

Pansy smiled at Ginny's defense of her, but continued sadly, "And, I have, but it's not that easy to go against them. They've already lost so much this last year and I wouldn't want to upset them more just to…"

Ginny pushed herself off the bed as she interrupted, "To what, Pansy?! Be happy? Fall in love? Be loved? How can they not want that for you? I swear, if Hermione wasn't with Ron, I'd set the two of you up, just to piss your parents off."

Pansy blanched and glanced at Hermione who she found was staring at her. Hermione finally smiled a bit sadly and then looked over at Ginny. "Well, that's kind of why I was coming to see you, Gin. Maybe you should sit down."

"Why? What's wrong?" Ginny asked as she stopped pacing and looked at Hermione.

"Well, um, you know how Ron and I haven't been, well right, for a while now?"

Ginny shrugged, "All couples have down times."

Hermione straightened her back and said softly, "We broke up tonight."

Ginny sank down on the bed and looked down at the coverlet. Neither noticed Pansy's sharp intake of breath as Hermione waited for Ginny to speak.

"For good?" she finally asked.

Hermione nodded, "Yeah. It was time, Gin. We both knew it wasn't going the way we thought it would. I think there was a time when it could have worked, but now…we just want different things. I guess we missed our window or something. I'm sorry."

Ginny nodded and looked up with tears in her eyes, "So, you'll never be my real sister?"

Hermione moved across the bed to hug the younger girl, "We're already sisters, Gin. You're my best friend. Me not being with Ron won't change that."

"Promise?" Ginny sniffed.

"Promise," Hermione assured her.

Ginny pulled back and looked at Hermione closely, "Are you okay?"

"Strangely, I am," Hermione nodded with a small smile. "I know, logically, I should be upset or something, but honestly, I just feel, I don't know, the same. I love him, Gin, but I don't think I was in love with him. Not really. It's almost like a relief that we can just be friends again, you know?"

Ginny nodded, but asked again, "Are you sure? You don't have to hide it from me."

"I'm fine, really. I want Ron to be happy. And, I want to be happy. We talked and we're fine with this. It just didn't work," Hermione assured her with a shrug.

Pansy, feeling uncomfortable with the two of them as they bonded, moved quietly to the door and reached out to turn the handle.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked as she blew her nose and noticed the fleeing girl.

"I was just going to leave you two alone to talk some more," Pansy said looking at the floor.

Hermione moved off the bed to cross the room to Pansy. Placing her hand on Pansy's arm she said, "You don't need to go, Pansy. This is what friends do. We laugh together and cry together. You were honest with us about your feelings, there's no reason to run from ours."

"I know, it's just…" Pansy faded off as she looked away from them again.

Hermione giggled a little, "You want to go out in the hall to do a little happy dance that you might now have a chance with Ron?"

Pansy blushed and shook her head, even as a tiny smile graced her face at Hermione's teasing. "No, nothing like that. I wouldn't…"

"It's okay, Pansy," Ginny sighed as the joined them at the door. "I would want to do one, too, if I were in your shoes."

Pansy nodded, but remained quiet.

Hermione put her hand over Pansy's on the doorknob and said, "Okay, enough of this. It's time for the rest of the girlfriends' ritual."

Pansy looked at her in confusion, but laughed when Ginny answered the unspoken question.

"Ice cream!"

Their tension broken, the three made their way down the stairs and past the three men in the common room. When they reached the kitchen, Hermione went for the freezer, as Ginny pulled out bowls and spoons.

When all three had heaping bowls of their favorite flavors in front of them Ginny started laughing to herself. Pansy and Hermione looked across the kitchen table at each other and then at Ginny.

"What's so funny?" Hermione as she licked her spoon clean.

Ginny looked at Pansy for a moment, placed a silencing charm on the kitchen, and then turned to Hermione, "You are really okay with the two of you breaking up?"

Hermione nodded and said around a mouthful of ice cream, "I really am."

"What if he showed up tomorrow with Lavender hanging all over him again?" Ginny persisted.

Pansy grimaced, but stayed quiet and spooned more ice cream as she waited for Hermione to answer.

Hermione swallowed, shrugged, and answered truthfully and with a light laugh, "You know what? I think I would really be fine with it. I would question his taste in women, but I wouldn't be hurt again, if that's what you're asking."

"Kind of," Ginny hedged and then turned to stare at Pansy.

Pansy looked up from her ice cream to meet Ginny's stare and stammered, "Ginny, no! Don't even think it!"

"Why not? Hermione said she'd be okay with it, and he's now free."

Hermione thought about it for a moment and realized the thought of it wasn't as foreign to her as it would have been only a couple of hours ago. She wondered briefly what it said about her former relationship that she was over it so quickly and ready to set her ex-boyfriend up with someone she barely knew. With a mental shrug, she let it go.

Out loud she said, "I'm not ready to get into another relationship yet, but Ron might be. I mean part of the reason we broke it off was that he wants the whole family, children, happily-ever-after thing now. I mean, you might want to give him a few days or something, but I think you two could be good together."

Pansy looked from one to the other and shook her head, "You can't be over him that fast."

"It wasn't right for a long time, Pansy. I think I've been over him for months. And, he's over me. It just took us a while to admit it to each other. We just want each other to be happy."

Ginny smiled, "And, maybe everything that's happened tonight happened for a reason. I mean, what were the odds after supper that we would all be here now, having poured out our deepest secrets?"

"You haven't poured a thing, Ginny," Hermione reminded her with a laugh.

"Yeah well, I have nothing to admit, do I?" Ginny shrugged. "But, come on. Think about it. I meet Pansy in the halls and half an hour later we're gabbing like old friends. Then we run into you and the three of us just…fit. And, all of this happens on the night she admits to liking my brother, eww by the way, and you break up with him. Seems to me the fates are at play."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully and looked at Pansy. "She's got a point, you know?"

Pansy looked from one to the other and shook her head at them. They both grinned at her and at one another. Finally releasing a small smile, she picked up her spoon again, looked down at her bowl and said, "He still needs time to heal."

xxxxxx

"But, every time she looks at me, I feel like a heel."

Blaise, sprawled out across the sofa across from his friend, sneered, "Greg, get a damn grip! She's the same know-it-all, pain in the ass, friend of all that's good and pure, bitch she was last year."

"Don't call her that!" Greg exploded. "You weren't there. You didn't see her. She was hurt, sad and scared. She could have left both me and Draco to die after what Vince did, but she didn't."

"They didn't," Draco added quietly from his seat. "Potter and Weasley were there, too, don't forget."

Blaise sat up and looked at both of them as if they'd suddenly sprouted wings, "What is wrong with you guys?! Greg's got his nuts in a twist over Granger, of all people, and you're calling POTHEAD and WEASEL by their names?"

"Things change, Blaise," Draco sighed tiredly.

"But, they don't have to!" Blaise almost begged. "Not that much! Not here, too."

Before either could respond the upstairs door opened and the three women came down the steps. For very different reasons each man braced himself, but they were left unnoticed as Ginny, Hermione and Pansy went past them without a word. When the kitchen door closed all three released breaths they didn't want to acknowledge having held.

Draco shifted on the sofa and said thoughtfully, "You know, a lot has happened. Changed. Too much in my opinion, but…Blaise, it's never going to be like it was. It's time to grow up and figure out what happens from here."

Blaise harrumphed and crossed his arms as he looked into the fire.

Draco closed his eyes and the words he'd heard all summer slid from his mouth, "There's nothing wrong with being a pureblood with a long family history. It's something to be proud of, in fact. But, that family pride should never be taken for anything more than what it is. It doesn't make us smarter, or better, or wealthier, in my case. It's simply an accident of birth that put us where we are."

Greg looked at Draco and asked, "Do you really believe that?"

Blaise shook his head in denial, "No, he doesn't! He was brainwashed, that's all. A few weeks back and he'll be okay."

"No, Blaise," Draco interrupted as he opened his eyes to pin his friend with his steely stare, "I think I do believe it. Mostly, at least."

When Blaise started to scoff Draco continued, "Think about it and be honest. Name five purebloods in this whole school, who aren't named Weasley or Longbottom, that would or could have done what they did last year."

Blaise looked away, but muttered, "The three of us, Pansy, and Theo."

Greg shook his head sadly, "Count me out, Blaise. I know I couldn't have faced what they did. I read about some of the stuff they went through. I know I would have run or given in at some point."

"Well, the four of us could have…" Blaise said only to be cut off again by Draco.

"Blaise, you saw where I stood, almost to the end. And, Pansy hid from the whole thing like it wasn't happening. Theo would have crumbled at the first threat, and you…"

"Me, what? What?! Say it, damn you! Go ahead!" Blaise jumped up from the sofa and paced in front of them as he shouted. "Blaise Zabini is a fucking coward who hid behind his mother's skirt in Brazil while everyone else fought and his friends died! You don't think I know what you're thinking; what everyone's thinking. But, I didn't run. I wasn't hiding, dammit. I was protecting my mother; the only person on this damn planet that gives a shit about me. She was scared. I couldn't very well tell her to suck it up, could I? No! I went with her. And, I let everyone else fight the good fight. I NEVER gave up my beliefs. OUR beliefs. I thought, no I KNEW we would win. Who the hell believed Potter and his cronies would pull it off against the greatest dark wizard to ever live?"

Both Greg and Draco stood up to try and calm him, but he continued on unabated, "And, now we all have to start living all this _new beginnings_ bull, and act like we aren't above them all. We're better than every last one of them! Just because Pothead got in a lucky shot after your wand mix-up! And, I have to swallow my outrage and pretend everything is all fairies and clouds, as I cohabitate with a damn Gryffindor, so that the Ministry, not-so-dead-dumbass-Dumbledore, and his pack of bloodtraitor, halfblood and mudblood followers, like your oh-so-perfect Granger, can…"

What the murmurs of his friends hadn't been able to do, the soft gasp behind them did. All three men fell silent and whirled to face the three women standing in the kitchen doorway.

Hermione stood stiffly, tears sliding down her face, her eyes clouded in sadness and defeat. Ginny was red in the face and breathing heavily as her magic crackled around her angrily. But, it was Pansy's face that made each man step back. In all the years they had known her, she had never shown more than mild irritation or mild happiness. With Blaise's words still hanging in the air around them, her countenance held anger, disbelief, disappointment and intense dislike as she advanced on him.

When she stood in front of him, she hissed, "You are a disgrace to our house, this school, your supposed friends, and your mother. I am ashamed to have ever called you my friend."

Everyone flinched when her hand came up quickly and the sound of its crack across Blaise's face was heard throughout the room. She then turned to Draco, who took another step back from her.

"Do you agree with him?" Pansy asked quietly, her eyes daring him to lie to her.

Draco was silent as he stared at her like he'd never seen her before. Then he looked slowly from Blaise, who still stood proudly, shaking with righteous indignation, to Ginny, who simply stared at him hatefully as she awaited his answer, and then finally to Hermione. He watched her lift her chin a bit and straighten her shoulders, even as another tear slid down her face and her hand gripped Ginny's tightly. Her quiet, unflagging strength finally wrenched the answer from him as her eyes met his.

"No." He shook his head a little and continued to stare at Hermione. "No, Pansy, I don't. Not anymore."

Pansy looked at Greg who silently shook his head, even as he hung it to avoid looking at the hurt on Hermione's face any longer.

Pansy turned back to Blaise once more. Then she drooped as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders and said softly, "I have spent the past seven years at this school disliking people for being born to a certain family, or being smart, or God forbid, simply nice to others. And, I have let everyone else tell me who I should be, what I should say and think and do for all that time. But, this summer that all changed. You want to know why? You want to know what made me finally realize how pointless, tiresome and stupid, hating Harry for being born, Ron and Ginny for being loved as children by their family, or Hermione for being muggleborn and still more skilled and smarter than all of us in this room? Brace yourself, you gnomebrain, because it was you, Blaise."

When his head whipped around to stare at her she nodded, "Yeah, over the summer I started thinking about how hating them for circumstances they had nothing to do with was pretty much the same as, say, hating a boy for having skin darker than a European pureblood is supposed to have. I kept wondering what life would have been like for you, if people had never given you a chance to show who you were simply because of your skin color. I finally realized that just as you had no control over how you looked, they had no control over how or to whom they were born. And, because of my _friendship_ with you, I decided this year I was going to give everyone who gave one me one, a chance. Because of you, how I thought you would have felt to be treated like we've treated Hermione, I changed. I thought you, of all people, would have thought of that."

With that she turned to Hermione and Ginny, "I'm sorry our evening had to end like this, but I'm going to go now. I don't think I can stand the air in here much longer. Thank you, Ginny, for everything you did for me tonight. I hope we can…well, you know what I mean. And, you too, Hermione. I am glad I finally got a chance to get to know you and you me. I like you guys. Um, Hermione, would…would you maybe like to walk with me at least part of the way back?"

Ginny let go of the Hermione's hand and stepped forward to hug Pansy lightly, "Let it go. Don't make their problems yours or ours. We'll talk tomorrow morning at breakfast. Okay?"

Pansy nodded and smiled gratefully as she stepped back. Hermione tried to smile at her, but it looked more like a grimace. Pansy moved over to Hermione and simply offered her hand in silence. Hermione looked down at her hand and then up into her eyes. Without a word she grasped Pansy's hand tightly and nodded.

Ginny whispered goodnight to both of them, Hermione nodded again. Pansy gave a small wave and they left quietly through the portrait hole.

Ginny turned to the three men, but couldn't think of anything to say as she looked from face to face. Greg wouldn't meet her eyes and looked as if he wanted to cry. Draco stared back at her, his face, for once, not impassive. She saw sadness, confusion, and plain exhaustion.

Draco looked away and said quietly to Greg, "We should go, too."

Greg nodded and started to walk toward the portrait hole. Then he stopped and turned back to Ginny. "I know it may not mean much right now, but I like you, too. Good night."

Ginny nodded at him, but before she could answer, Draco added, "Good night, Blaise. Think about what Pansy said. And, Weasel…ly, give it rest for the night. I think we all have enough to deal with, don't you? Come on, Greg."

Blaise expelled a frustrated breath and turned away from them, but Ginny continued to look at Draco in wonder. He wasn't acting like the person she'd known for all her years at school. He didn't even seem the same as he had at the end of the war. She didn't know what to make of him, and she wasn't sure she actually cared to get to know this new person. But, she knew she could no longer hate someone whose eyes held such sadness, defeat and loss. They reminded her too much of Hermione's.

xxxxxx

"You think Hermione's really okay?" Ron asked softly as he and Harry sat next to each other on the sofa in the Gryffindor common room.

Harry sighed and looked at his watch, "How long has she been gone?"

"About two hours. I mean she seemed okay with everything when she left, but…"

"Maybe she just needed to talk to Ginny about everything. You know how girls are," Harry laughed a little, his heart not really in it.

For the past hour he had tried to figure out how he felt about his friends' breakup. Part of him knew it was for the best, as they weren't the best couple, but it still felt like a huge loss that they wouldn't be a foursome anymore. Would seeing Ginny and him together make Ron and Hermione feel awkward? Would his best friends still be each other's best friends? Was he going to have to pick a side at some point?

There were so many questions swirling in his head that he didn't hear the portrait open. But, he did hear it slam shut and the Fat Lady yell, "No need to be so rude!"

Both he and Ron shot off the sofa at Hermione's abrupt appearance and hurried to stop her ascent up the stairs. Harry reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her, but both men stopped when she turned to them with tears streaming down her face.

Ron was the first to react by pulling her into his arms and apologizing, "Oh God, Mione. I'm so sorry. I didn't know you would take it this hard. I thought we agreed…"

"Oh, would you stop!" Hermione growled as she pushed him away and wiped her face. "I'm not crying over you or us, Ron."

"Then why are…" Harry asked softly.

Hermione flung her arms up in exasperation, "When will it end?!"

"What end?" Ron asked, even as he stepped back a bit from her sudden anger.

Both boys watched as she paced away from them, angrily wiping at her tears, even as she growled her answer. "This. Everything! I have done everything, given all that I have, all that I am. For the last seven years I have fought tooth and nail. I studied. I worked. I worked damn hard! And, for what?! For WHAT?!"

Ron shrugged, but tried to answer, "For our freedom?"

"For our lives," Harry answered.

Hermione seemed to calm a bit at their words, but then she sat heavily on the sofa and started crying again. Ron eased down beside her and put his arm around her shaking shoulders at a loss as to what to say, since he didn't know what was happening.

Harry wasn't any surer than Ron, but he had an idea. "You ran into Slytherins, huh?"

Hermione nodded miserably and he continued as he looked at Ron to try to get him to understand, "And, they made you feel like dirt, again?"

She hiccupped and nodded, as she wiped her tears and took a shuddering breath, "I just don't understand. After all we've been through, all that could have happened, all the people who died fighting for what's right, how can people still…still hate like that?"

"Who said what to you?" Ron asked. With understanding came anger that Hermione had once again suffered for simply being who she was.

When she didn't answer immediately, Harry drew his own conclusion, "Zabini or Malfoy?"

Hermione, no matter how disappointed in her life, didn't want to be the cause of more friction, especially not on their first night back. Besides, in her estimation, Harry didn't need another battle to fight.

"It's not just them. It's everything. I don't know what I thought would happen, but I guess I had hoped that all we went through meant something. I thought things would change, at least somewhat, you know?"

Ron nodded, but said, "You can't expect people to just let go of everything they've believed in all their lives in only a few months, Mione."

"Pansy did," she sighed.

"Parkinson?" Harry asked. "How do you know that?"

"I ran into her and Ginny on their way back from a walk."

Harry glanced at Ron, and saw his face twist in confusion, "What was she doing with Parkinson?"

"Talking, Ron," Hermione sighed. "She's…she's changed, I think. Or, maybe she was always like this, but I just never noticed. I don't know anything anymore."

Harry persisted, "So, was it something she said that got you all upset?"

"No," Hermione smiled in memory, "she was actually very nice. Would you believe she was almost apologetic about being from a completely magical family? And, she was almost as upset as I was about it."

Ron tried once more, "About what? What crap did Malfoy spout this time? Did he call you that name again?"

Hermione smiled a bit at his protectiveness and persistence in hating Draco, "Believe it or not, it wasn't him, Ron."

"So, Zabini?" Harry nodded.

Hermione sighed again and pulled her legs up under her as she twisted her hands, "Yeah. Seems he still believes the wrong side won. And, that people like me should be…anyway, he still has the same hatred he had before and he made it very clear what he thought of all of us. It just made me realize that after everything, nothing's really changed."

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Harry sighed as he sat on the floor at her feet and took her hands in his. "Not everyone is going to change instantly just because one dark wizard died. It takes time."

"I know," she sighed. "I just wish it didn't hurt so much still."

Ron hugged her close again and kissed the top of her head, "We did our best. We just have to wait and hope now, Mione. Prejudice and ignorance doesn't just go away."

"I know," she sighed once again. "I'm sorry, you guys. I'm just tired, I guess. I usually don't let it get to me like this."

"It's okay," Harry said. "You've been through a lot tonight. All the changes around here, the break…um."

Hermione smiled down at him and then reached out to take their hands in her hers, "It's okay to say it, Harry. The break up. Ron and I are fine with it, aren't we?"

Ron nodded and tightened his hold on her hand, "We're fine."

"But," Hermione continued as she looked down at Harry, "are you okay with it?"

Harry laughed a little, "I'm fine, if you are. Are you really?"

When both nodded, he asked, "What did Gin say?"

Hermione smiled to herself, as she remembered their final conversation, but answered, "She's fine, too. Once I convinced her that we were okay with it. And, she sends you her love. To both of you."

Harry smiled softly and asked, "Do you think she's okay there alone with Zabini?"

"Ginny can take care of herself, Harry," she smiled and patted his hand. "I would actually fear more for Zabini, if I cared if he lived or died tonight."

Both boys laughed with her. Then she got up and pulled Ron up off the sofa, "Come on boys. Breakfast will be here before we know it. It's been a long day, and I need some sleep."

They started up the stairs and Harry patted her on her back, "Yeah, me too. I wish we had cell phones here."

"Why?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged, a bit embarrassed, "I just want to check on her. I…I miss her, I guess. It's strange being so far away from her now."

Ron rolled his eyes and stopped at the landing that separated the boys and girls sides of the flats, "Man, Harry. You two have been apart for what? Three hours? You'd think you were married or something."

Hermione shook her head at the two of them and smiled at the normalcy of the conversation after her past few hours. "I love you guys."

Harry turned to hug her, "And, we love you, Hermione."

When he let go Ron stepped forward, "Yeah, we do," and then leaned down to kiss her out of habit.

Hermione turned her head so that his kiss ended up on her cheek and then gave him a quick peck on his cheek.

He turned pink and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Sorry. I didn't mean…"

Hermione shook her head and smiled at him with all the tenderness in her heart as she pulled him in for a hug, "No worries, Ron. Takes some getting used to, right?"

He nodded gratefully, "Right. Good night."

Harry turned away with a small smile, "Night, Hermione."

"Night guys," she waved and turned to head back to her rooms.

xxxxxx


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story

**Chapter 6**

"But, her bedroom is a lot like ours. And, it's really the only area that had a lot of red and gold."

Parvati laughed around her toothbrush and finished brushing her teeth. She had been in her room with the door closed when Hermione had come in the previous evening and was just catching up on everything that had happened. While showering she had listened to Hermione talk about her break up with Ron, run in with "Malfoy" and Greg, some of what happened in getting to know Pansy. And, finally, she heard the way the evening ended. By the time she was wrapped in a towel at the sink and Hermione took her turn in the shower, Parvati knew she had missed a lot of important happenings.

"Hmmm. I can't wait to see it all," she called over the noise of the shower running. "Think we can convince Ginny to have a little party?"

Hermione laughed, "I don't think it would be her we have to convince. You did hear the part about her git of a roommate, right?"

"Oh, I heard you. I think I heard more than you meant for me to hear, actually," Parvati laughed lightly, as she stepped through the door leading to her room. She left the door open and reached for her school clothes, just as Hermione stepped out of the shower, wrapped herself in a towel and came to stand in the doorway.

"Okay, explain what you meant by that."

Parvati looked over her shoulder at Hermione and wondered for the billionth time why Hermione couldn't play up her lovely features. She and Lavender had tried for years to get Hermione to be more "girly" but had always failed. She smiled as she remembered their conversation from the night before and realized she would now get her chance.

"I think you have a bigger problem than whether or not purebloods the world over will ever get past their prejudices," Parvati smiled. She knew it was a touchy subject, and her tone conveyed her understanding of that.

"Like what?" Hermione asked as she rang water from her hair into a towel.

"Well, I get that you're over Ron, sudden friends with Parkinson, love Ginny's new rooms, still dislike Zabini, and plan to let Goyle down easy at some point. But, I must say, I found two other things more interesting. First that a certain sexy blonde didn't jump in with his friend to put you down, and second, that his is the only first name you can't seem to say. Heck, you even called that ass Blaise by name during your little tirade. But, with Draco Malfoy…"

Hermione rolled her eyes, laughed, and turned to go back into the bathroom, "Oh, please, Vati."

Hermione made it across the bathroom and to her own doorway before she heard Parvati's laughing voice, "Didn't hear you deny it."

"There's nothing to deny. So, I didn't say his first name. That's not breaking news. He's Malfoy!" Hermione rummaged through her drawers and pulled out clothes for under her robes. "And, with all the stuff he's been through over the last few months, I'm not surprised he wasn't up for much of a fight last night."

She heard Parvati's, "hmmm" through the bathroom and shook her head, "Honestly, Vati, what are you getting at?"

Hermione turned her head when she heard Parvati's shoes click across the bathroom on her way to Hermione's room. She saw the other woman was dressed and fully made up already.

"Seriously, what do you mean?"

Parvati shook her head as she leaned against the door jamb and smiled, "Smartest witch of our age, my butt."

Hermione looked confused as she pulled her blouse on, "Meaning?"

Parvati brought up her wand and uttered a quick hair and makeup charm that Hermione had heard hundreds of times in their old rooms. She watched Hermione turn to look at herself in the mirror before she answered.

"Don't touch your hair, it's perfect. And, what I meant, my extremely intelligent, but stupid friend, was I think you need to examine why you care what DRACO does or doesn't think about you or anyone else. Why his is the only name you can't get past those now perfectly made up lips. And, why when he had all the chances in the world, he didn't once insult you, well except for that VP thing, but I think that was more habit than anything else. And, anyway, he even made sure you knew his new feelings."

Before Hermione could formulate an answer, Parvati was out the door on her way to the common room downstairs. Hermione opened her mouth to call the woman back, but then realized she didn't know what she would say. They were all valid questions she supposed, but Hermione realized she didn't have any answers. She honestly didn't know why he acted like he did or why she cared. She wasn't even sure she did care, but she admitted something had been different in the way they'd acted together.

"Why am I even thinking about this?!" Hermione asked herself in the mirror.

"Because you want to find the answers, as always," her mirror self said back to her.

"Oh shut up," Hermione laughed.

With one last glance at her newly made up self, she grabbed her bag and headed down to the common room to meet her friends and go to breakfast.

xxxxxx

Harry looked up when Hermione appeared at the top of the steps and whistled, "Look at you!"

Dean Thomas looked up at Harry's comment and saw Hermione, "Wow! You look great. What's the occasion?"

She smiled as she continued down the steps, "First day of school, of course."

Dean came over to meet her at the bottom of the steps and leaned in a bit. "I heard you and Weasley broke up."

"Yes, we did," Hermione nodded. "News sure travels fast."

"Well, when it has to do with one of the top catches in the school, people are bound to talk," he teased. Then he reached out and caressed a curl that rested on her shoulder, "Breaking up with Ron agrees with you, Mione."

She blushed a bit at the intimate quality to his voice and stepped down off the last step, putting some room between them. "Uh, thank you, Dean."

"You're welcome." Her actions had told him more than her words, so he nodded in understanding and stepped back as he turned to the rest of the group, "So, everybody ready for breakfast?"

Hermione found herself flanked by Harry and Ron as the small group made their way to the Great Hall. Lavender and Parvati giggled behind her. Dean and Seamus laughed and pushed each other childishly as they bound down the steps. Ron and Harry talked about quidditch over her head as they walked. And, when they neared the hall, Ginny joined the group and after everyone's greetings, joined in Harry and Ron's conversation. It was all so normal and comfortable that for the first time in a long while Hermione finally felt at peace, at home.

When they reached the Great Hall she noticed that her group wasn't the only one reluctant to go inside and leave their friends. The new seating arrangements, while exciting to many, still meant a lack of friend time.

She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and said, "Well, I'm hungry. Since we won't have time to meet up to compare timetables, how about we all agree to spend whatever free periods we have today in the All-House Common Room? It's not far from most of the classrooms, so we're bound to see each other enough times to exchange schedules."

Everyone agreed and after a small round of handshakes and hugs, they parted company.

xxxxxx

Draco sat quietly at his table, ate his breakfast without much interest in what was on his plate, and watched the proceedings around him. He saw Weaslette, 'Ginny' he reminded himself, and Pansy talk to each other easily, as if they'd been doing it all their lives, and shook his head in wonder. He had known Pansy his entire life and never suspected he didn't really know her. She had provided him with enough new realizations in one evening to leave him tossing and turning for most of the night. And, it wasn't just her.

His grey-blue eyes slid back to his own table and he sized up Ronald Weasley. For the first time ever he tried to be fair to the boy, now man, he'd hated on principle for so long. Too red hair, goofy grin, taller than the last time he's seen him. Eyes blue and almost as twinkly as Professor Dumbledore's. Loud laugh, but an honest one. Good with the younger kids at their table. And, an open book, his every feeling floating across his face.

_What on earth does Pansy see in him? And, Hermi…wait! Where the hell did that come from? Granger! Yes, Granger. She's way too smart for this simpleton. And, why do I still want to punch him in the face and then hex him with boils?_

Draco sighed at his own thoughts and looked away, his eyes landing on a smiling Hermione. She glanced his way just then and when their eyes met he felt the breath whoosh from of his body. He flushed as he recalled the feeling of her curves against him in the hall the previous evening and broke the contact.

_What the hell? I must be more desperate than I even knew. One bit of body-to-body contact and I'm losing my head. Well, I am an 18-year old man and she is a very tasty looking… okay, enough! Focus! School, Dumbledore, continued therapy sessions, classes and studying, and a very much alive godfather, Severus._

He had a lot to think about and many changes to accept and didn't need to add his sudden sexual awakening to the mix. For a year or two he had played up to the rumors that he was the greatest shag to ever enter Hogwarts with Pansy's help as a gossip and liar, but then, at the time when they really could have started to make the rumors true, real life had stepped in and ruined things. It never ceased to amaze him that people thought he spent all his spare time going from witch to witch in broom closets for the past two years. They never seemed to get that his sixth year had been spent practically paralyzed with fear for all that he had to do. The repercussions of his actions, and then the feelings of failure, loss, and more fear had swamped him the remainder of that year. The next year…he shuddered at the memories and laughed bitterly to himself. _Yeah right. Like that had been the time for sex of any kind._

He winced as Ron's boisterous laugh brought him mentally back to their table and felt the stare of 'Loony' Lovegood. When he glanced her way he saw her sizing him up and shifted uncomfortably in his chair as her eyes seemed to mirror the path of his thoughts.

"So, Draco," Luna breathed. Her voice was soft, almost dreamy, but it cut across the din of the busy room regardless, "what classes do you have when?"

Draco glanced down in surprise to see his timetable resting at his elbow. He'd never even noticed it being placed there, and glanced around quickly to see professors making their way around the hall with papers for the rest of the students. He smirked at the look of irritation that he noticed on Potter's face and glanced down again to read his own schedule. Each sixth and seventh year student had been placed in classes based on their O.W.L.S. scores and future plans. That meant that there were no more per house classes. Seeing his new timetable with only his name and classes on it, Draco realized he had no idea who else would be in class with him.

Before he got to the second line of his schedule Luna's voice was heard again, "Soooo?"

He looked up to see most of the table looking at him expectantly. Ron was staring at his plate, pointedly ignoring him. Draco bit back the immediate retort that sprang to his lips and cleared his throat.

_New beginnings_, he reminded himself. _More acceptance, less jerk. You're with this lot for four weeks. Play nice. Even with the Weasel._

His face was set in a grimace as he spoke, "Today, Wednesday and Friday, Herbology and Arithmancy before lunch, and Transfiguration after with Astronomy at night. And Charms, Potions, and Muggle Studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

He didn't mention the bold print that read "Mental Health" on Thursdays after his classes, so he was a bit shocked when Luna asked about it.

"And, when are your sessions?"

"Why do you care?" he snapped.

She shrugged her delicate shoulders and smiled benignly at him, even as her eyebrow arched at his tone, "We all have them, you know? It's not just you."

He hadn't known and his surprise was evident as he looked around the table and noticed everyone nod.

Faruka spoke up, "Mine's on Thursday mornings with the new teacher, Professor N. T. Lupin. Is he or she nice?"

Ron smiled and nodded at the young girl, "She's great. You'll love her." Then he glanced at Draco and couldn't stop himself from jeering, "What? No DADA for you?"

A stab of pain went through Draco as his eyes bore into Ron's, but he kept his voice as neutral as possible, "I think I've dealt with enough dark arts to last me a lifetime, don't you?"

Ron seemed to realize what his jab at Draco had sounded like and started to apologize. Then he thought better of it. Draco wouldn't accept it, and he wouldn't really mean it. A part of him almost admired Draco for coming back to school to face everyone. The fact that Professor Dumbledore was alive had been the source of a lot of conversation the night before. And, with his reappearance, much of the burning hatred toward Draco had faded. They'd all known he hadn't been able to kill their former headmaster, but that hadn't stopped them from blaming him for everything that had happened that horrible night.

Over the summer while looking back, Ron and Harry had realized that they had given the Draco Malfoy too much power in their lives. They had let their anger, fear, and childishness focus on Draco, rather than on the bigger picture of what had been happening. They'd then vowed to let go of their grudges and start this year anew. Of course, the night before they had fallen back into old habits and both had been ready to pummel him for upsetting Hermione. But, now in the light of day, he couldn't bring himself to keep up the fight. With a sigh he turned to his own timetable.

He cleared his throat to breach the sudden silence at the table and said, "I've got uh Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, DADA and Transfiguration today. And, Charms, Potions and Muggle Studies tomorrow. Darn, no Remus! Well, at least I get Tonks in Transfiguration."

He glanced up to see several of the younger students staring at him with their mouths open.

"What?"

Faruka whispered in awe, "You called professors by their first names."

"Oh," Ron blushed and laughed, "sorry about that. But, it's going to be weird to call them professor when I got to know them before, you know?"

There were a few giggles before Luna asked, "So, do you know this Peyton Mills person?"

"Not really, ran into her a time or two during the war. Seemed nice enough. She's replacing Professor Burbage," Ron answered.

Neither noticed Draco's sudden loss of color and one of the younger boys asked, "Whatever happened to her?"

"No idea," Ron answered around his bagel.

Luna shook her head at his manner of eating and continued, "She just disappeared one day. No one's seen her or heard anything about her whereabouts. It's like sticknits just carried her off."

A fifth year girl sighed dramatically, "I heard she resigned to run off and get married to a wizard ten years younger than she was."

The other fifth year at the table, a boy, looked at the girl almost sadly as he muttered, "Sorry, but I don't think so. More than likely she was captured, tortured and killed by Death Ea…"

Luna cut him off with a tiny cough and all eyes flew to Draco, some in sympathy, others in accusation. He quickly decided he'd had enough to eat and stood to leave the table. He kept his face impassive and refused to make eye contact as gathered his things.

His movements faltered a moment when he heard the boy say quietly, "I didn't mean him."

And, Luna's answer, "I know, but you should watch what you say."

Draco took the first step away before Luna called out, "See you in Herbology, Draco."

Without turning, he nodded and then continued his walk to the doors. With each step he reminded himself that he was blameless. He hadn't been the one to kill Professor Burbage. He also hadn't been capable of stopping it from happening. No one knew that he had seen her die. No one knew that she had looked him in the eye before she'd breathed her last breath. No one knew how much her death had affected him. The feeling that the walls were closing in on him made him hurry his steps. He needed to get out of the hall before he embarrassed himself by curling into a ball and screaming until the images left his head.

Quite a few sets of eyes followed Draco's departure from the Great Hall. Some wondered where he was going to go. Others wondered if he was off to do something nefarious. And, still others simply appreciated the view of his lean body sweeping across the room and out the door.

xxxxxx

Pansy sighed softly as the door shut behind Draco. "And, what do I do about him?"

Ginny shook her head, "Maybe you should talk to him. I mean, if you two really want out of this thing, you're going to have to break it together."

"What are you ladies whispering about?" Harry asked from his table behind them.

They turned to see him leaning back in his chair with a small smile on his face. Unable to resist, Ginny leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Nothing big. Just going over our timetables," Ginny smiled. Harry saw Pansy breath out a sigh of relief and refrained from pushing the issue.

He nodded, "So, what do all the healers-to-be have today?"

"You want to be a healer?" Pansy asked in surprise.

Ginny nodded, "Yeah. Why is that so surprising?"

"I don't know," Pansy shrugged. "I guess I just pictured you as becoming a world famous quidditch player or something. But, being a healer fits, too."

"I know people don't always see me as serious," Ginny said soberly, "but, I saw too many people hurt back then. And, there was nothing I could do to help. At that final battle, I just wanted to…to help. And, everyone just kept trying to protect me and push me back. I had friends who were dying and I just wanted to be able to…"

"Ginny," Harry interrupted softly.

Ginny stopped immediately and realized that her voice had risen and people were staring at her. With a flush, she forced herself to relax and cleared her throat.

"I think I understand," Pansy said quietly, as she placed her hand on Ginny's clenched fist. "Healers are respected and they can help make things better. I know you'll be great at it, Gin."

Ginny smiled gratefully and relaxed her hands.

"She's going to be the best healer ever seen," Harry added. When Ginny turned to look at him, he smiled and reached out for one of her hands. "So, what do you have today?"

Ginny pulled her hands from both of theirs and reached for her paper. "Care of Magical Creatures, Basic Medical Aide, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration."

"Wow, we're in almost every class together!" Pansy laughed. "Except Care of Magical Creatures. I have no idea how you can stomach half of the things he brings into that class."

Harry laughed with Pansy, "You get used to it." Then he looked at Ginny, "At least we'll see each other most of the day. Of course, I have Astronomy tonight and Wednesday night. Sheesh, who wants to go to classes at night?"

"My poor suffering future auror," Ginny teased. Then she turned to Pansy, "He and Ron didn't have a choice in their classes. They have to follow the auror training requirements."

Pansy nodded knowingly, "Yeah, Greg, too."

Harry's eyes widened, but it was Ginny's gasp that made Pansy laugh, "Yes, Gregory Markus Goyle wants to be an auror."

"But, um, not to be rude, but, does he know you have to study and stuff? I mean, it's really hard work," Harry said uncomfortably.

Pansy smiled and leaned in, "Don't tell him I told you, but he's a lot smarter than he lets on. He gets practically straight Os in everything. He even helps Draco and Blaise study sometimes."

She laughed out loud at the looks of disbelief on Harry and Ginny's faces and reached for her glass of water.

xxxxxx

Hermione put down her glass and continued to scan her schedule as she ate her breakfast. For most of the morning her table had been almost silent. At first the other students had talked with each other about their new rooms, and all the other changes. But, each time they tried to ask either Blaise or Hermione a question, they were ignored or spoken to tersely, respectively. The tension between the two finally got to everyone, and they simply stopped speaking.

Hermione had seen Draco almost run from the hall. She briefly wondered where he could be headed, but when her eyes met Blaise's her anger at him made her forget Draco all together. With a harrumph she picked up her paper and blocked his face from her view.

One of the first year Slytherins at their table cleared his throat softly and almost whispered, "Um, Hermione? Is Professor Hooch a good teacher?"

Hermione heard the fear in his voice, and wondered if it was because of her actions all morning, or his fear of flying. She closed her eyes and took a breath to calm herself down. It wasn't right of her to take her anger at Blaise out on the rest of the people at the table.

"Yes, Kevin, she is from what I remember. I only had her my first year. What else do you have today?"

xxxxxx

_You only had her first year, because you can't fly worth a damn_, Blaise said peevishly in his head.

He finished his fry-up and looked down at the schedule resting at his elbow. He knew without looking what classes he had been scheduled for, because they were the ones that would fulfill his future Ministry job requirements. The only real question that remained was who else would be in his classes. He knew Greg and Draco would be in many of them, as the requirements for a Ministry job were in a lot of ways similar to those of an auror and Potions Master. But, he wondered about Theo and, even as his stomach jumped a bit at the thought of her name, Pansy. With Theo's law aspirations and Pansy's still undecided plans, he wasn't sure he would see as much of them.

With a small grunt he acknowledged that he should probably try to talk to Pansy. He'd never seen her that angry, or heard her say the things she'd said to him. _Spat at me more like._

He turned to see if she was still in the hall and his jaw fell open. She appeared to be quite fine and happy as she talked with Blaise's fiery co-head and her boyfriend. His eyes closed into slits as he watched Potter say something that made both woman laugh, and he wondered how Pansy could so easily turn traitor in only one summer. Turning back to his table he frowned at the now more relaxed conversations taking place.

When he heard Hermione laugh at the antics of one of the younger children, he almost found it infectious and felt the urge to smile, but fought it back. She was the cause of all the troubles he was having. She had turned Pansy against him somehow. She had also done something to Draco, of that, he was sure. It just wasn't like his friend to act the way he had been acting. Theoretically, he knew it was the things Draco had suffered and the lessons he'd had to learn all summer that were really to blame, but Blaise needed something solid to blame. Hermione Granger.

She and her kind had insinuated themselves into the magical culture and acted as if they belonged. In the past it had been so much easier to hate her, as they waited for her façade to crack. She was a blight on society, a freak of nature, a smart, pretty, witty, friendly, powerful witch, who shouldn't be all those things. Knowing in his heart she couldn't be real, he settled on the fact that she was a fake, a fraud. She wasn't possible because she was not from a magical family and she would break. She wasn't as good as he was because she was a muggleborn. Simple. If she had been born to the right family, then maybe she would have been considered someone to admire, but…Pansy's words from the previous evening washed over him once more and he grimaced.

With a frustrated sigh he again focused on his schedule and tried to block out the annoying sounds of happiness around him. But, he couldn't concentrate. He kept hearing Pansy's words, seeing Granger's disappointed eyes and Draco's tired ones, and feeling the disgust aimed at him by the Weaslette when she'd brushed by him and gone upstairs to slam her door shut for the evening. Greg's responses hadn't bothered him as much, as the man had always had his own opinions on things. He just usually kept them to himself. Blaise knew Greg well, and the man did nothing halfway. When he'd decided to hate Potter and his group of followers, he'd gone at it with zeal. Now, that he'd changed his mind on things, he would be just as voracious in efforts, but on the other side.

No, it was Pansy and Draco that most worried him. Well, mostly, because a part of him wondered at his own zeal in hating them. He was honest enough to admit to himself that questions he didn't know the answers to had plagued him all night. The chief amongst them, if he was so sure of his own superiority, why did he feel so threatened by their mere existence? He didn't understand why he was so bothered by it all.

The bells sounded to signal the end of breakfast and the arrival of their first day back to class. With a grunt of relief Blaise grabbed his things and strode out of the hall. He couldn't wait until his half hour with Professor Snape on Wednesday. He knew his Head of House would help him get his thoughts straight.

xxxxxx

With his gloved hands covered in pus from the bubotuber they had been squeezing for the past half hour, Draco wondered once again why he wanted to work in Potions. Herbology was a tedious, disgusting subject, and he hated the feeling of the gooey substance even through his thick gloves.

"There can't be this much acne in all of Great Britain!" he mumbled to himself.

Luna said softly from across the table, "They're useful for other things, too. Acne is only the most widely known use. It's also quite useful for severe bayi gegabah."

Draco stared blandly at her, but Blaise laughed loudly, "You almost had a full real thought there for a minute, Loony."

Parvati looked at him sharply, "You know, I think someone needs to squeeze more and talk less, before their complete ignorance is fully realized."

Theo snickered and Parvati looked over at him ready to once again defend her friend. But, she found him looking at Blaise instead. He turned his head and smiled at her before he ducked his head and went back to squeezing.

Blaise sputtered, "What? Loony makes up some stupid thing like biyugogobee, and I'm the idiot? I think not! I have no idea how that hat put someone like you in Ravenclaw. Aren't they supposed to be intelligent?"

Draco shook his head in wonder and fought to keep his smirk from showing as he answered, "Blaise, Luna is actually right. Bayu gegabah is Indonesian for baby rash."

"Huh?" Luna asked in shock. At the same time, Parvati stepped closer to Luna and demanded, "What are you playing at, Malfoy?"

Not only had Draco been correct, but he had also defended Luna AND called her by name.

Draco almost winced at the hard edge to her voice, but was able to control his features as he glanced up at Parvati coolly. He stared at her for a second before he raised a brow at her and then turned to Luna.

"And, where did you learn Indonesian?" he asked the girl who stared at him with wide, round eyes.

She shook her head slowly, but her eyes never left his, "I don't know it," she breathed. "It's what my father always called it. How do you know it? And, why did you say my name?"

"Yeah?" both Theo and Parvati asked at the same time. They glanced at each other, blushed a bit, smiled and looked back at Draco.

Draco shrugged and looked back down at the squirming tuber in his hand, "Just seems a might childish to me to call people names. I mean, we all know Luna's…um…"

"Eccentric?" Theo provided.

"Yeah, that," Draco nodded a thanks at Theo and turned back to look at Blaise to continue his reprimand. "I mean, we're adults. When do we start acting like it?"

"Thank you," Luna breathed with a smile. "Maybe we could…"

Parvati cut her off, "Okay, what the heck is going on here, Malfoy?"

Theo interjected quietly, "Maybe, Ms. Patil, Draco is simply tired of all the petty sniping and name calling. I know I am."

Luna smiled at Blaise, "You kind of remind me of a fly with your eyes all bugged out like that."

Draco coughed to cover his laugh. Theo ducked his head again to hide his smile. Parvati laughed out loud. And, Blaise simply sputtered.

When he'd gained control of his tongue, he took off his gloves, threw them on the table and stalked away as he said over his shoulder, "I will not stay partnered with brainwashed fools, idiots and stupid Gryffindors! Professor Sprout, I demand a new group!"

Draco sighed heavily and tried to concentrate on the job at hand. He wasn't sure why he had felt the need to open his mouth. He was strangely okay with the words he'd thought and the feelings associate with them. _Am I really brainwashed?_

"There's nothing wrong with you," Theo murmured his voice soft enough for only Draco to hear over the normal classroom noise. Still, Draco glanced up to see if Parvati and Luna were listening. They weren't, as they seemed to be engrossed in a conversation of their own.

"I don't know what you mean," Draco said quietly back.

Theo laughed softly, "Yeah, right. I know you, remember? I know that look, Draco. And, no, you haven't been brainwashed. I had the same therapy sessions this summer, you know. Most of us have."

"So, Mr. Brilliant, why do you think some of us seem to still be the same and others of us…?" Draco asked.

"Have matured?" Theo supplied. "Maybe because some of us just needed change more than others; I know I did. I was never all that involved in all the petty squabbles around here like you were. But, I did find myself getting pulled into things rather easily a time or two; and, never really because I wanted to, just because everyone else was. Over the summer I decided that this year I would be me. And, maybe find out if I ever had any real friends here. People who like me for who I am will continue to do so, whether I always side with them or not. Those that no longer want to associate with me were never really my friends."

Draco once again heard Ginny Weasley's words to Pansy the night before, _No more hiding. You are who you are and people will accept it or not._ He wasn't sure if it was Theo's loss of control the night before or his words afterward, but Draco knew Theo had changed, too. It made him feel closer to the man who'd barely been a blip on his radar before. He also knew there had been no one else around to talk to about these things. Blaise surely wasn't approachable. Draco wasn't close enough to Pansy to talk about his feelings. And, he didn't feel quite right about asking Greg. But, he suddenly felt the need to ask the question that had been bugging him for a long while. And, he thought Theo, who had also been through therapy, might not only understand his question, but also not laugh at him for asking it.

"Theo? How can you be so sure it's your own thoughts and feelings and not something they planted or something?"

Theo shrugged and took off his gloves, "I guess I'm not, really. But, I don't care because whether they put it there for me to think about, or I decided it on my own, it feels right. And, I'm just so very tired of always feeling wrong."

Before Draco could respond Parvati looked up at them. "Nott, we're not done here."

He laughed a little, "Well, my bladder doesn't know that."

Parvati blushed, "Oh, well."

He winked at her, "And, my name is Theodore, Ms. Patil. Theo for short."

Draco snickered when she nodded dumbly. Theo wasn't normally much of a ladies' man, but he seemed to have flustered the pretty, Indian girl. _Guess she likes the nerdy type._

He actually allowed a small smile when Luna answered for her, "And, she's Parvati. But, all her friends call her Vati. And, she's a pureblood, in case that helps."

"Luna!" Parvati squeaked.

But, Theo just smiled, nodded, and walked away with a bit of swagger to his step. Parvati's eyes followed him across the room, over to Professor Sprout, and then out of the door.

When the door closed she rounded on her friend, "I can't believe you just said that, Luna!"

Luna shrugged and smiled as she pulled off her gloves and watched the remaining tubers squirm around, "Well, Vati, you two seem to be getting on. And, you know how Slytherins are, if you aren't a pureblood, you don't count as human. So, I thought it might help."

Neither noticed Draco's wince at the slight, as they continued their conversation, his presence momentarily forgotten. Parvati pulled her gloves off and put her hands on her hips, "And, what if I don't care what he thinks?"

"But, you do," Luna said with a smile that was wiser than was normally associated with her.

"No, I…what makes you think that…I, mean, do you think he…" Parvati sputtered.

Just then Professor Sprout called out that class was nearing its end. Both women moved off to clean up and Draco missed the rest of the conversation. He looked around for Blaise and saw the man across the room staring at him with a mixed look of confusion and anger. With a blank face Draco cleaned up his area and made his way out of the classroom. It didn't surprise him when Blaise fell in step beside him; angry or not, they were friends. The thought almost made Draco smile.

xxxxxx

New Professor Nymphadora Tonks smiled at the nervous, young woman across the desk from her. She was very happy to have found a place at Hogwarts after the past few years of strife, and she was eager to do her part to help with the aftermath of the war. Even though she was now a wife and mother, she wasn't much older than the students and hoped she would be able to relate to the students in a way the older teachers couldn't. She hoped it would assist her in helping the fighters and sufferers of the war, like the dark-haired beauty in front of her heal.

"Ms. Parkinson," she began her introductory speech, "these sessions are for you and about you. I know you have no reason to believe it or trust me, but I promise you, anything we say to each other here goes no further."

When Pansy simply nodded and stared at her with wide, dark blue eyes, Tonks smiled softly and thought about how to break the ice. With an idea in her head she continued her speech.

"Each student will have a half hour every two weeks to talk with a professor that they will hopefully grow comfortable talking freely with, so that they can get out any residual thoughts and feelings they have about the war, or how things are now, or whatever they want to talk about that session. So, this time is yours to say or ask anything you please without fear of any kind of repercussions."

Pansy watched in fascination as the professor's hair slowly turned from it's pale yellow to dark green to vivid pink to a slightly sick-looking orange to a midnight blue and finally to a bright rainbow of colors. Tonks smiled as Pansy's eyes widened with each change.

"Is there anything you want to talk about today? Do you have any questions?"

"Professor Tonks, how do you do that?" Pansy breathed in awe.

Tonks laughed a deep, rich laugh that surprised Pansy enough to make her smile and relax a bit.

"First off, it's Tonks, just Tonks. At least in here with just the two of us, okay?

When Pansy nodded, she added, "May I call you Pansy?"

"Sure," Pansy agreed with a nod.

"Okay, so to answer your question, no idea, really. I just think it and it happens. So, Pansy, did you have anything you wanted to talk about?"

Pansy shook her head, but found herself blurting, "What's it like to be part of The Order?"

Tonks watched Pansy's face drain of color after her question and rushed to alleviate the younger witch's fear. She stood up, rounded the desk, and conjured a chair next to Pansy's. "Relax. As I said, whatever we say is between us. And, to establish a rule that will help us both, how about we agree that we both have the right to not answer things we don't feel comfortable answering, just yet?"

Pansy hung her head, "Of course, Professor. I am sorry."

"Tonks," she gently reminded her. "And, I wasn't chastising you, I just meant, you can ask me anything, and I can ask you anything. We just both have the right to not answer. And, it's exciting and scary, but rewarding. I was and am a very proud member of The Order. What else would you like to know?"

At the end of their half hour, Tonks wasn't sure what to make of their time. She knew Pansy was more comfortable with her, but she didn't know if they had gotten anywhere. Most of the time had been spent with Pansy asking questions about Tonks' role in the war and her feelings on it, her relationship with her husband, Professor Remus Lupin, and her young son Teddy. With a small sigh she leaned forward to reach for her notepad and quill, so that she could make notes on their meeting.

xxxxxx

Pansy shut the door behind her softly, looked to make sure no one was coming down the hall, and then leaned back against the door with a heavy sigh of relief. A smile slowly crept up on her face as she closed her eyes and thought back over the past half hour. She felt like she had accomplished the greatest of feats. She, Pansy Parkinson, pureblood and Slytherin, the woman who had almost gotten Harry Potter killed, had gotten to sit and just talk to not only one of the greatest Aurors in the world, but also one of the leading members of The Order.

She pushed away from the door and almost skipped down the hall. With a rush of happiness Pansy realized she had an hour before her first class, Basic Medical Aide with Ginny, and that Millicent would be out of their room since she was in class. She mentally patted herself on the back for not signing up for Care of Magical Creatures again. She didn't dislike the teacher, Hagrid, like most of her fellow Slytherins. Pansy thought he was actually very sweet in a goofy kind of way. She just never quite understood his fascination with creatures that could and would rip your head off for simply looking them in the eye.

A giggle escaped her lips as she remembered Draco "insulting" a hippogriff a few years back and being attacked by the thing. Then she remembered that her new friends, Ginny and Hermione, had ridden the beastly creatures and reminded herself to ask them what it had been like sometime. Her smile widened at the word 'friends' as she said the password to enter the Slytherin common room. She barely noticed the occupants of the room as she headed to the small kitchenette for some juice with the intention of taking the glass up to her room so that she could read a book Hermione had recommended.

As she poured her glass she thought back over her new goals. Be herself and let people see the real Pansy. So far, so good. Make new friends. Check and double check, thankfully. Find a way to somehow get closer to Ron. She was still unsure on that one. She didn't want it to look like she had befriended Ginny and Hermione just to get near Ron, as that was in no way true, so she wasn't quite sure how to go about that one. And, besides, she still had to figure out how she was going to get out of her engagement to Draco.

She placed her glass in the sink and watched it vanish. She then began humming as she reminded herself that she hadn't been placed in Slytherin for nothing. She just had to find a way to make him realize he didn't want to be with her. That would mean he would have to very much want to be with someone else. So much so that he would be willing to break with centuries of tradition, potentially ruin his mother's future plans, and prove to be far braver than he'd ever been before. The song clogged in Pansy's throat as she realized the practically insurmountable odds she faced. With a shake of her head she forced herself to think of the potential positive outcomes.

She could have friends, actual trusted, close friends. She could get the man of her dreams and one day become Mrs. Pansy Weasley. She could have a future so much happier than her past. If only she could find just the right witch for Draco, then she would be free. With that in mind, the muggle song, _Freedom_, once again hummed in her throat.

xxxxxx


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7  
**  
Draco heard humming coming from the small kitchenette area as he entered the common room and since it was a rather odd occurrence in the Slytherin rooms, he thought to investigate who it was. He stepped into the doorway as the person was coming out and they slammed into each other.

"Sorry," Pansy mumbled. Her head was down as she bent to retrieve the books she'd dropped.

Draco was glad she hadn't seen his face yet, as he knew it betrayed his shock. In all their years he had never heard her hum, and most certainly he had never imagined it would be a happy, almost lyrical sound if he ever did hear it. As she straightened and looked up, he straightened his face with practiced ease and smirked at her.

When she flinched upon seeing him he raised an eyebrow, "Humming, my dear? And, what pray tell, was the song? I don't believe I've heard it before."

He watched the color drain from her face and saw her take a step back and took immediate exception to her obvious discomfort with him. They were to be married soon, after all, whether they wanted it or not. He felt a weight settle in his stomach as it hit him that he really didn't want to marry her. She was a fine, pureblooded witch from a good family. She had been raised properly to be _his_ perfect wife. She was intelligent, soft-spoken, pretty, and a good hostess. And, in all their years of acquaintance, she had proven to be an agreeable person. He did like her in general, but something about the thought of spending the remainder of his life with her, sleeping with her, made him feel a bit sick.

Her chin rose defiantly as she answered his question, but he barely registered her voice as he continued to think on their future. His eyes swept her face and then down and back up her small form. He took a deep breath to see if her scent had any affect on him and realized he didn't really smell anything. Why was it that he had absolutely no feeling for the woman in front of him? She was picture perfect. If someone had asked almost any male what they wanted in a wife, Pansy would have been who they described. He acknowledged that any wizard would be lucky to have her. Why then, didn't he want her?

"Draco!" she snapped.

He focused on her angry, upturned face and realized he had been staring at her for quite some time, but hadn't heard a word she'd said.

"Pansy," he answered snappishly to cover his lapse.

"I asked you a question," she said as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

He almost smiled at her. She was adorable in her anger; it made her eyes sparkle. But, he didn't think she would appreciate his view right then.

"I apologize," he said with a shallow bow. "I was lost in thought. What did you ask?"

She seemed taken aback admission and looked at him for a moment before she answered, "I asked why you were staring at me like that."

He shrugged and looked away from her, "Just thinking."

"About?" she prompted.

"Just stuff," he muttered and stuck his hands in his pockets. Then he glanced back down at her, "What are you doing back here? No class?"

She shook her head, "Not until eleven, Basic Medical Aide. And, you?"

"I had Herbology this morning, but a bit of a break before Arithmancy."

The awkward moment seemed to have passed, so he nodded toward the common room and they moved together out of the kitchenette and over to one of the sofas.

When they settled, she asked, "How was your class?"

"Oh, it was fine, I guess," he shrugged.

She tilted her head and asked softly, "Anything you want to talk about?"

He shook his head and she put her hands in her lap and looked down as she nodded.

They were quiet for a moment before he asked softly, "May I ask you a question, Pansy?"

"Of course," she answered immediately.

Draco wasn't quite sure how exactly to phrase his question, but he needed to know. Her voice from the night before still played in his mind, and with the conversation between Luna and Parvati added to it, he wondered again how he felt and why he suddenly cared. He glanced around to make sure no one listened to their conversation and cleared his throat nervously. His only solace was that as his betrothed, friends or not, she couldn't betray his confidences.

After the silence stretched a bit too long, he blurted, "What do you really think of muggles? And, um, muggleborns?"

He could tell she was shocked by the question as her lips fell open into a perfect O and her eyes widened in disbelief. If he hadn't wanted the answer so badly he might have laughed at her fish imitation. Then he saw her straighten slightly and sit back from him, almost as if she was preparing to jump away if needed.

His previous anger returned and he snapped, "I'm not going to hurt you, dammit. Just answer the question!"

He saw her flinch a bit, but watched as she lifted her chin and took a deep breath. For a moment he was reminded of Hermione Granger and her quiet strength. He blinked to clear the image from his head and looked at Pansy once again.

She looked him in the eye as she answered; her voice barely above a whisper, "As I said last night, Draco, I truly believe no one is responsible for their birth. I know you may not understand this, but now that I do, I can't see how I allowed myself to be so hateful before. We cannot control whether we are born male or female, with light skin or dark, dark hair or fair, what color eyes we will have, who our parents are, or whether or not we will have magical abilities. We can't control which abilities or talents we will ultimately be strongest in or how we are raised. All we can do is the best with what we are given. All we can do is try to be the best at being who we are. Muggle or magical we are people. People who want to love and be loved, get good jobs, raise decent families and someday die knowing we did our best."

He nodded as she stopped, but said nothing.

When they had been quiet for another moment she spoke again, this time more to herself than to him, as she looked to be lost in thought. "Take Hermione. She never asked to be magical, or smart, or have that ridiculously thick head of hair. She didn't ask to be born to her parents, but she shouldn't have to be any more ashamed of them than we are of ours. She didn't ask to be Harry Potter's best friend; it just worked out that way. And, she shouldn't be treated the way she's been treated simply because of things she had no control over. All it's done is make her so insecure about herself that she feels she has to compensate by being smarter. It's like she constantly has to prove herself. It's almost sad really. Look at all the interviews people got with her all summer. All they asked about was how she came up with various ideas and such. No one asked her even once about her personal life, or if she even had one. I know I wouldn't trade places with her for anything. I mean she's never had time to just be a normal girl. Even her short-lived romance with Ron Weasley was barely a blip on people's radars. Like it wasn't worth noticing. Like she wasn't worth noticing. It's no wonder she doesn't see how pretty she is. Her entire self-worth is wrapped up in whether or not she gets straight O's, like it's all she really has. That and her books. I know what that's like, to lose yourself in reading so you don't have to feel. Even her break up with Ron last night barely made an impression. It's almost as if she didn't care."

Draco stared at her. He knew Pansy wasn't really talking to him, so much as simply talking out loud, but the amount of information he was trying to assimilate was becoming too much for him. He started to interrupt her when she sighed heavily.

"She needs to do what I'm doing this year. Just try to be herself, let down her guard, and see what happens. I think she'd be very surprised to see all the changes it can bring. Just look at me. I'm doing it and…Oh!"

He held back his smile as he watched her realize how much she had said to him and froze.

He leaned in and teased, "That was a very long answer to what I thought was a rather simple question. But, thank you for your thoroughness."

She stood nervously and paced away a bit, "Draco, I…"

"It's fine Pansy," he smiled.

"No, it isn't!" she gasped. Her eyes swam with tears as she cried, "I can't believe I just told you all of that. Oh God, she'll never talk to me again."

He took note of the students in the room that had stopped to watch and was thankful only a few were there as most were in classes. With a beleaguered sigh, he stood and placed his hand on her arm to still her nervous pacing, "Would you calm down?"

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?!" She actually stamped her foot in frustration as her hands balled into fists, "I not only talked about her behind her back, but I just told you, YOU of all people!"

He stepped back as if slapped, "And, what do you mean by that?"

She laughed in her hysteria and paced away from him again, "She's going to hex me into little bits. And, Ginny, oh shit, Ginny! I'm a dead woman."

Draco grabbed her arm again and whirled her to face him. "What exactly do you think you've done to warrant your death? And, just what did you mean by me of all people?!"

She looked up into his angry face and her tears began to fall even as she pulled her arm away angrily. "I just pulled off the greatest coup in Hogwarts history! In one fell swoop I killed any chance I have at a friendship with them, ruined every plan I had for this year, and made your life worth living again. I hope you're extremely happy in your revenge against her, Draco, as I just gave you everything you need to finally crush Hermione completely."

Before he could stop her, she turned and fled up the stairs to her room. He didn't move until he heard her door slam above his head, the sound startling in the sudden quiet of the room.

"Go back to what you were doing!" he barked at the third year students who had stopped to stare. It gave him a moment of satisfaction when he watched them pack up their things and practically fly from the room.

When was alone he fell back across the sofa in disbelief of what had just happened. Pansy's words about Hermione floated around in his head as he closed his eyes.

_…no one is responsible for their birth…so hateful before…who our parents are, or whether or not we will have magical abilities…be the best at being who we are…want to love and be loved…she shouldn't be treated the way she's been treated simply because of things she had no control over… so insecure about herself…constantly has to prove herself…never had time to just be a normal girl…like she wasn't worth noticing…doesn't see how pretty she is…break up with Ron last night…be herself, let down her guard, and see what happens…  
_  
Draco harrumphed as he realized that half of what Pansy said could have been about him rather than just directed at him. He wondered yet again how much of what she'd said were her own thoughts and how much had come from the counseling they'd had all summer. Then Theo's words came back to him and he realized he agreed with the quiet man. Sometimes you have to go with your feelings, so maybe Pansy's feelings were her own. She certainly appeared to believe them quite strongly.

And, was Grang…Hermi…Grang…SHE really all those things Pansy had said? He couldn't adjust the picture in his head of her to see insecurity. Honestly, how could she not see how she looked? Didn't she own a mirror? And, what on earth did she feel she had to prove to anyone? She'd helped end the war and take down Voldemort. What did she care what others thought of her anyway? In all the years he known her she'd never backed down from him. Draco's own voice flitted through his mind _…mudblood…keep that bushy head down…bucktoothed…know-it-all… _And, then Pansy's once more _…your revenge against her…crush her completely._

"I wouldn't," he said to himself aloud. "Not anymore."

Draco didn't hear the other man come in and nearly fell off the sofa when Theo asked from behind him, "You wouldn't what?"

"Theo!"

"Draco," Theo smiled. "Now that we know who we are, what wouldn't you do?"

Later he would wonder what had made him answer, but just then he couldn't stop his sigh of, "Purposely hurt Hermi…Granger."

Theo sat down stiffly next to Draco, "And, why, may I ask, would you be contemplating that?"

Draco shook his head, "It's not what you think. It was just something Pansy said."

"Oh? What was that?"

Draco looked over and then away, "Nothing. Just some stuff about how I've treated her in the past."

"Pansy?" Theo looked confused.

"No, Hermi…Granger. Never mind, Theo." Draco ran his hands through his hair and sat up a bit straighter, "So, what are you doing here?"

Theo shrugged, "Dropping off some books now that I know what classes I actually have today. And, you?"

"Same. What classes do you have?"

For the next few minutes they compared schedules and spoke of why they'd selected certain ones. When they realized they still had some time before they would have to leave for Arithmancy, a class they shared, the conversation turned more personal. Without meaning to they began to compare their summer counseling sessions.

Draco began to see that his hadn't really been all that different than anyone else's; he and his mother had simply been more difficult students. He wondered if they'd been more cooperative if they might have been allowed visitors, as Theo's family had. Maybe that would have made a difference; if they hadn't felt so isolated. But, who would have come to pay a call? During their three trips to Diagon Alley no one had approached them or even acknowledged their existence. They had been openly shunned by many of the same people who had often enjoyed the hospitality of The Manor.

"I would have come, Draco. As would Pansy, Greg, and Blaise, I am sure," Theo assured him.

"Well, we'll never know now, will we?" Draco asked philosophically. "And, it no longer matters. It's over."

"Not completely," Theo reminded him. "We still have our sessions with the professors. I got the new one, Muggle Studies teacher, Peyton Mills. Should prove interesting. Who are you with?"

Draco inhaled sharply at the question and paled a bit. But, just as he opened his mouth to spit out the name, Pansy came stomping back down the stairs. He caught her eye and she stopped halfway down.

"Theo, excuse me for a moment," he said as he got up without giving Theo an answer. Draco held Pansy's stare as he made his way across the room to her and stepped up on the first step.

He took a breath and decided to do what everyone else seemed to be doing, say what he felt. He kept his voice low and begged her with his eyes to believe his words.

"I am not the person I was, Pansy. I have no wish to hurt anyone. And, I would never betray the confidence of someone I call my friend. I may not really know who I am anymore, but I do know who I am not. Your secrets, and hers, are safe with me."

Pansy stared at him for a moment before she nodded slowly, "Thank you, Draco."

He smiled and offered his hand, "Come on. Let's get you to class."

She nodded and looked over his shoulder to see Theo join them.

The dark haired man's voice was soft as he said, "You may not know who you are, Draco, but I think I will like you a lot more now. And, if you give yourself a chance, I think you will start to like you, too."

Draco's eyes widened as Theo looked back at him calmly and Pansy nodded. To cover his momentary discomfort he nodded once in acceptance, but said, "So, we should get going."

Both smiled at him before they turned and headed out to class.

xxxxxx

Hermione hurried down the hall to her favorite class, Arithmancy, her books thumping against her back as she walked with a satisfied smile on her face. Harry, Ron, and surprisingly, Greg trailed along behind her.

"Is she always this fast?" Greg gasped as they followed the little woman in front of them.

Neither of his companions answered immediately, but then Harry cleared his throat and mumbled, "Any time she likes where she's going."

It had been a surprise to both Harry and Ron when Gregory Goyle had approached them, Millicent in tow, at the beginning of Care of Magical Creatures. Both boys mouths dropped open in shock when not only did Ginny greet "Greg" warmly, but so did Hermione. They actually reached for their wands when he stepped forward and leaned in closer to Hermione as he said his hellos. Millicent Bulstrode's grunt was more like they were used to and almost made them relax. But, then their abject shock returned as Goyle launched into a story about a muggle band he had heard was pretty good and asked if Hermione knew of them and liked them.

"Of course, Greg! Everyone's heard of U2!" she exclaimed with a grin. "I have some of their music if you want to hear it sometime. I can bring it with me to the all-house common room."

He nodded eagerly, his smile almost dreamy as he gazed down at her.

The look seemed to be the last straw for Ron, "Am I having some awful nightmare, Harry?"

Harry shook his head, but continued to stare at Goyle. Then he asked incredulously, "Are you okay? Do you know who you are? Who we are?"

Ginny, Hermione and Greg all laughed a little, then the larger man nodded, "Yeah, Potter, I know who you are, who I am, and who they all are. And, thank you for caring, but I am completely fine."

"Blimey, you can talk!" Ron said as he stepped forward to peer at Goyle like he would a zoo animal.

Ginny giggled, "That's kind of what I said, too."

Harry still stayed back from the larger man as he'd had too many years worth of abuse and threats from him, "Ginny, Hermione, you want to tell me why Goyle is standing here like…like…"

"Like a person who has grown up and would like to start over and get to know the people who saved his life?" Greg supplied with a small smile.

Harry nodded, "Yeah, what he sai…What?"

Luna had joined the group moments before and answered for Greg, "He's apologizing to you. Love makes people do all manner of strange things."

Harry choked out, "Love?"

Greg turned red and seemed to choke on his tongue. Millicent, Ron and Harry looked even more confused. And, Ginny and Hermione tried to hold back their giggles, even as Hermione blushed to the roots of her hair.

Thankfully for Greg, Hagrid chose that moment to start class. For the remainder of class, Harry and Ron decided to let things play out. They didn't trust Goyle, but he hadn't as yet done anything wrong that they could see. If his questions of them were anything to go by, he really appeared to be genuine in his desire to get to know them. At first they tried to ignore him, but the disapproving looks from Hermione, Ginny and Luna finally made them grunt answers as they searched for the elusive bug in the mold and growth at the base of the trees along the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Millicent's continued grunts of displeasure made them feel better and soon they were both trying to get her to talk to get the attention off of themselves and Goyle. They'd been very happy when class had finally ended, but it was a short-lived happiness, as he fell in step beside them to go to their next class.

Hermione almost skidded to a halt at the door to the class and turned to wait for her companions to catch up with her.

"Honestly!" she teased when they reached her. "You would think you don't want to be here with as slow as you all move."

All three ignored her as they entered the classroom, still trying to catch their breath. The room was set up in normal classroom fashion and while Hermione sat in the front row, all three boys sat behind her. Harry and Ron did it out of habit as it was easier to see her notes from behind. Greg did it to be near her. When he settled he grinned to himself as he realized he had an added benefit of being able to see down her shirt just a bit. He took no notice of the next entrants as he stared and wondered if her underwear matched her lacy blue bra.

Hermione paid no attention to the men behind her as she set up her quill, ink and parchment. Just as she reached into her bag to retrieve her battered, but loved, copy of _New Theory of Numerology_ her eyes fell on Theo and Draco. They stood in the doorway and stared back at her. Not seeing the malice she was used to seeing from them, she was unsure what to make of their stares and finally dropped her eyes and lowered her head to fiddle with the things on her desk. She jerked in surprise when they stopped in front of her and Theo began to speak.

"Potter. Good day to you."

"Nott. Good classes so far?" Harry answered.

Neither missed the swinging heads of their friends as the pleasant exchange took place. But, both ignored them as they continued cordially.

"Only had the one, but Herbology did prove to be very interesting." He turned his head and smiled at Draco. "Was it not, Draco?"

All eyes turned to him and he actually flinched slightly before nodding briefly.

"And, hello to the rest of you," Theo continued as he glanced around the rapidly filling room. "I confess I did not expect to see so many people in this class."

Ron, who finally decided if the Slytherins could play nice, then he could too, straightened in his seat, cleared his throat and offered, "It's a required class for Aurors."

When Greg nodded beside him, Ron turned to the man in awe, "You want to be an Auror?! For the Ministry?"

"Yeah," the man answered even as he blushed a bit. "What of it?"

Hermione smiled up at him, "I think that's a lovely idea, Greg. Good for you!"

The look of pride on his face at her praise made all of the men around him look away in embarrassment for him.

Theo looked down at Hermione and asked politely, "May I?" as he indicated the chair next to her. She appeared at a loss for what to do for a moment and then nodded mutely. As Theo sat down her eyes went to Draco's face to see what he would do. He seemed unsure himself until the next person entered the room.

Hermione watched as Blaise stopped dead at the sight before him and let out a loud sound of disgust. Knowing it was directed at her, she lowered her lashes and reached for her ink, so she wouldn't have to look at him. But, her head jerked up in surprise as Draco harrumphed, crossed in front of her and then dropped into the seat on her right.

Her gaze flew back to the door to see Blaise's face turn almost purple in his outrage before he stormed to the back of the classroom. The other students who had settled there immediately got up and moved across the room to give the large, angry Slytherin a wide berth.

"What are you playing at, Malfoy?" hissed Harry from behind them. He hadn't missed the looks that passed between the Slytherin students. Nor had he missed Draco's glance at Hermione's bent head before the blonde man had moved to sit next to her. He knew the Slytherins were up to something and he wasn't about to let Hermione get caught up in their machinations.

Draco turned to look blandly back at Harry and said, "Sitting, Potter. As you may have noticed, we are in a classroom. That's generally what people do here."

Ron hadn't seen all that Harry had, but he felt something was up anyway, "Stuff it, Malfoy. We've got your number!"

"Ah numbers, beautiful, simple things, aren't they?" Professor Vector said from the doorway.

With that everyone took their seats and class began. For the first time in her recollection though, Hermione couldn't concentrate. Too many thoughts swirled in her head.

_How am I going to get Greg to realize that we will only ever be friends? Why was Harry so nice to Theodore Nott? What's up with Malfoy and Zabini? And, why is he sitting next to me? Where's my wand? Oh crap! It's in my bag. Can I get it without being too obvious? Would they try something in front of everyone? No, they wouldn't. Calm down. Wow, nice thighs. I never noticed how…what the hell am I doing?! Why am I looking at Malfoy's legs? Pay attention!  
_  
Draco could feel the tension from the woman next to him and wondered at its source. When her hand froze over her paper and she barely breathed, he risked a glance at her. She appeared to be lost in thought as she stared at his left knee. When the color on her face drained he almost asked if she was okay, but stopped himself when her head snapped up and she began to pay attention to the lesson.

xxxxxx

"Let that be a lesson to all of you," Madame Pomphrey called out from the back of the darkened room. "Even the most basic injuries, if left untreated, can cause the most hideous devastation."

The class stared up at the magical screen that played out the progress of gangrene on a person's foot. Pansy looked to her side and noticed Ginny's grimace, even as she continued to stare at the images. On her right, Luna stared as well, but as her eyes were unfocused, it was obvious she paid little attention to her surroundings.

"Now, that you all understand the importance of the work, we will start with the most important things first," Madame Pomphrey stated.

All the students blinked as the screen disappeared and the light instantly streamed once again into the room from the windows. "Stand please."

The class stood and the chairs they had been in vanished to be replaced by the regular hospital beds they were used to seeing. One appeared right in front of the three girls and they laughed as they stepped back a bit.

"Get into groups, please. Four to a table."

Pansy smiled to herself as neither Luna nor Ginny moved from her side, but had to stifle a groan as Millicent made her way over to them.

"Pansy," she said as she assumed a place across the table.

"Hello, Millie," Pansy said as she bit back her irritation. "You know Ginny and Luna, right?"

The pretty blonde looked at the two women and nodded. They returned the nod and looked at Pansy. She shrugged at them a little and looked embarrassed. Ginny's wink and smile helped her relax again.

Madame Pomphrey called for their attention and waved her wand around the room. Beside each bed a cabinet appeared and they were told to take inventory of their stock. They were to work together to compile two lists. The first was to be of what basic supplies were missing from the cabinet. The second, a list of what injuries could be cured or assisted with only the cabinet's current stock.

Pansy turned to her companions and wondered what to do first.

Millicent surprised them all by taking over, her voice gruff and business-like, "Okay, I'll do the potions. Weasley's good with numbers, so she can do the calculations. Pansy can do the non-potion inventory. And, Loony can take our notes."

All three stared at her and no one moved.

"What?" she finally barked. "Just because I never spoke to you before doesn't mean I don't know anything about you lot."

Luna broke the silence, "How did you know I have the best penmanship, Ms. Bulstrode?"

"Name's Millie," the woman grunted. Then she smiled. It looked a bit odd on her face as none of them had seen it before. "I figure everyone else is trying this change thing, I might as well join in, is all. And, I didn't know about your stupid handwriting, I just didn't know if you were good at anything."

Ginny raised a brow at the woman's ability to be so normal and so odd at the same time. "So, you are planning to be, um, friendly to non-Slytherins now?"

"I was never all that friendly to them either," she admitted as she reached for a potion bottle. Then she shrugged, "But, yeah, I guess. Seems like the thing to do this year."

Pansy laughed as she took bandages out of the cabinet and started placing them in size order, "Well, Millie, if you do plan to start being nicer to people, maybe you could start by not calling Luna names and passing me those ointments."

Millie looked over at Pansy and then glanced across the table at Luna. "Fine. Sorry."

Luna smiled thoughtfully, "It's fine. You never said anything to me that others didn't. I understand how Slytherins feel about non-purebloods."

"Not all of us," Pansy said with a smile.

Before they could say more, Madame Pomphrey approached to check their progress and they settled down to work.

xxxxxx

By lunchtime all the students were more than ready for a break from all the work they'd already been given and hurried into the Great Hall. All over the hall students chatted with each other about classes they shared. All of a sudden the mix of house tables seemed a good thing to most as they each got to have a little bit of the spotlight at their individual tables. In the past, each class only spoke to others of their same year, and most definitely of their own house. But, with the new table arrangements, everyone got to share a bit, from the overly excited first years to the already overworked seventh years.

At his table Draco listened to a hyper third year complain about how silly Professor Trelawney was with all her gloom and doom fake prophecies, as Draco pushed his food around his plate. He knew he needed to eat, but the presence of the professors at the front of the room, two in particular, made his stomach churn. He only had one class left before dinner, Transfiguration, but before that he had a free period. He figured he would grab a bite then and pushed his plate away.

Across the table Ron and Luna laughed at another student's story and Draco glanced around the hall to give himself a chance to get it together. He saw Potter smiling and nodding at something Theo was leaning it to say to him. He wondered with a smirk if it had to do with Parvati Patil. Draco then looked beyond Potter to Pansy and saw her listening intently to something Ginny was saying. They seemed very serious and again he wondered what the conversation entailed. Last, he turned his head to look at Blaise and Hermi…Grang _Okay, fine! Hermione, then. But, only in my head! What is she doing? How can she read in all this noise? And, why is no one at their table talking?_ He watched as two younger students glanced quickly over at Blaise before lowering their heads to their plates once more. He sighed heavily when he looked at his friend.

Blaise sat stiffly in his chair, his food uneaten in front of him, arms crossed, and a sneer on his face. The sneer was directed at the woman across from him, who simply flipped her hair over her shoulder, turned the page and continued to read quietly. Even from across the room, Draco could feel the anger radiating off of Blaise. It was a wonder that Hermione hadn't burst into flames under the intensity of Blaise's angry glare. Draco wondered what had happened to upset Blaise so much, when the object of his anger seemed so oblivious to it. But, before he could contemplate it further the bells sounded, releasing everyone to their next class or free period.

Draco grabbed his bag and stood, his eyes still trained on Blaise. He hurried over to their table as he didn't want his friend to do something stupid in his anger and lose his Head Boy position. He even allowed himself to acknowledge that he didn't particularly want Hermione hurt. He didn't take time to analyze the whys of it, but rather just accepted it and acted on it. He neared the table just as Blaise's wand cleared his pocket.

xxxxxx

So complete was Blaise's focus on the witch across from him that he didn't hear the bells, notice the students moving around him, or notice Draco's approach from behind. All he could think of was hexing the symbol of all that was wrong in the world across from him. He knew he wasn't being rational, but he didn't care anymore.

All summer long he'd waited to be back at school where things were normal. He and his mother had returned to a wizarding world they hadn't recognized and he had watched his mother try to assimilate herself. He had watched the normally vivacious witch flounder in a sea of uncertainty as they ventured out into the shops and restaurants of Diagon Alley. He had seen her shunned by her former friends and become a person he no longer knew, as she tried to find her way. And, he had filed away every insult tossed her way and allowed it to fuel his rage at all he'd lost. In his mind the fight for freedom for the half-bloods and muggleborns had become an attack on everything he was. He hadn't so much cared about which side won or lost the war before the fighting had begun. But, as the quality of his life lowered, as his mother became more and more desperate for acceptance, he'd begun to care very much.

With each step she took in her quest to regain her footing in the new world, he took another back from it. His last straw had been when she volunteered to go through Ministry counseling. He'd moved out that night and taken a room at the Hog's Head. There he studied, read, spoke to no one, and waited. He just knew when he got back to school things would return to normal. His friends would understand him, back him up. But, they hadn't. They'd changed, too. And, they'd defended or befriended the enemy. Granger, the Weasleys, and Potter. Granger. Little miss perfect, Granger.

He reached for his wand and thought of the many hexes he wanted to throw her way. Just as he opened his lips to mutter the nastiest one he could think of, slim fingers neatly slipped the wand from his hand. He growled as he stood up to face the person who dared to interrupt him and faced the perfectly calm façade of Draco Malfoy.

xxxxxx


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story

**Chapter 8  
**

He saw Draco's eyes flick over his shoulder when the dark-haired witch gasped in surprise at his sudden movement. But, then those light eyes came back to look into his dark ones.

Neither moved when they heard Ron's voice from behind Draco, "Hermione, are you okay?"

"Of course, Ronald. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, oblivious to all that had occurred under her nose. "What happened?"

He stepped around the unmovable wall that was Draco and Blaise, and reached for her hand, "Nothing. It's just, uh, we're going to be late for class if we don't get going."

She nodded and put her book in her bag, all the while looking between the three men for explanation. When none seemed forthcoming she shook her head and turned to leave the hall.

Ron paused a moment and looked at Draco over Blaise's shoulder. He nodded his thanks and turned to follow his friend from the hall.

When they stood alone Draco stepped back from Blaise, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Me?" Blaise hissed. "Give me back my wand, Malfoy!"

"Blaise, you have to calm down," Draco began only to be cut off by a voice from behind his back.

Professor Snape assessed the situation as he asked quietly, "Is there a problem here, gentlemen?"

"No, sir," Draco bit out, refusing to turn around and take his eyes off the angry man in front of him.

"He has my wand and refuses to return it," Blaise accused maliciously. "I believe that should earn him at least a week's detention."

Snape looked from one young man to the other before he asked, "And, why do you refuse to return his wand, Mr. Malfoy?"

"He…" Draco began and then faltered. He didn't want to rat out his friend, even if he was behaving irrationally. "It was just a joke, sir."

He handed the wand back to Blaise who took it and turned to retrieve his bag. Before he could storm off, Snape's soft voice stilled him.

"Mr. Zabini, as a school Head, you might want to remember in the future that hexing fellow students, no matter how annoying they may be, could lose you that position." With a swish of his robes, Snape then departed, leaving both men staring after him in wonder.

Blaise seemed to deflate as he fell heavily into the chair closest to him and put his head in his hands.

Draco shifted uncomfortably and then cleared his throat. It sounded unnaturally loud in the now empty hall, as it bounced off the walls to echo back at them.

"What is going on, Blaise?" Draco finally asked, even though he stayed standing behind him, his wand firmly in his hand just in case Blaise lost it once again. "Talk to me."

When the man simply shook his head, Draco came around the chair and pulled another one out. He sat down and put his wand away before he continued, "Blaise, I've never seen you like this. I've known you since before we could walk and in all those years, I've never known you to lose control like that. You were about to hurt a defenseless woman."

Blaise snorted a derisive laugh, "Defenseless my left nut."

"Okay, there's the Zabini I know," Draco laughed a bit. "Seriously, what's going on? Last night you said a lot of stuff that made no sense, and then just now…"

Blaise put his fists to his eyes and groaned in realization, "They're turning her into Granger."

"What? Who? Huh?" Draco stammered in confusion.

"My mother!" Blaise shouted as he stood and kicked the chair out of his way. "They're doing to her everything we've done to Granger all these years. And, I can't do a damn thing about it!"

"Blaise, what are you talking about? I don't understand. Who's doing what to your mother? And, what does it have to do with Herm…Granger?" Draco asked from his seat.

Blaise sat down on another chair and started talking. For the next half hour Draco listened as Blaise ranted, raged, sulked, whined, and eventually cried out his thoughts.

"Okay, I get all of that. I understand what's going on a little better, I guess," Draco sighed. "But, I still don't get what any of this has to do with Granger."

Blaise shook his head, "Neither do I, really. I don't know why, but just seeing her makes me angry all over again."

"Did she do something at lunch? Say something to set you off?"

"No," Blaise shook his head. "She…she just was. She came in all happy with her little band of Pothead followers. And, Pansy, Greg and Theo were with her. Like they'd all been friends forever. Then she sat down and put her napkin in her lap!"

Draco looked at Blaise blankly. _Since when was having good table manners a bad thing?_

"I know. It sounds stupid even to me when I say it out loud," Blaise snorted at Draco's blank stare. "But at the time it was enough."

"Then did she say something?" Draco asked, still not completely understanding what had caused Blaise to want to hex her.

"No, I did," the darker man admitted. "I told her she was wasting the use of a napkin as her type of mud couldn't be wiped off."

Draco made no comment, so he continued, "Then, that little fourth year Ravenclaw, Mandy Brocklehurst, snapped 'If you can't say something nice, Zabini, don't say anything!' and the entire table stopped talking. I think most of them were waiting for me deduct house points, but I didn't even think of it. I just thought about the fact that Granger had embarrassed me in front of everyone."

"I saw her reading," Draco said slowly.

Blaise didn't even think to ask why Draco had been looking at her, "Yeah, she got out the book when everyone refused to talk. One minute she was glaring at me like she wanted to jump across the table and hit me. Then she just shut off and started reading. She completely tuned out, like no one else was in the hall. The longer the silence lasted the worse it got. By the end I was ready to hex her just to make her react. I wanted to see her lose control for once. I want her to show some emotion. My mother did. All the damn time."

Draco heard what his friend said, but his mind replayed Pansy's words once more…_that and her books…to lose yourself in reading, so you don't have to feel._ He idly wondered if Pansy knew how smart she really was. Then he looked back at Blaise.

"I don't know what to tell you," Draco sighed. "Maybe you should talk to someone?"

"What? Like one of those Ministry counselors?" Blaise scoffed. "I don't think so!"

Draco lifted his shoulders in a shrug, but before he could answer they were interrupted yet again.

"Well, I think," Snape said from the doorway, "you will be late to your next classes if you continue to loiter in the Great Hall."

Both jumped to their feet, each wondering how long the Potions professor had been there and what he had heard. Without another word they grabbed their bags and made their way to the door.

As they passed the Professor they lowered their eyes to avoid eye contact and hurried their steps. But, his voice once again slowed their steps, "Mr. Zabini, my office, five o'clock sharp."

xxxxxx

"Harry, would you please stay after for a moment?"

Harry sighed inwardly as he nodded. The closer they had gotten to the end of their first Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) class, the more his stomach had churned. He'd known Professor Dumbledore would want to talk to him alone. He had felt the old wizard's stares throughout the entire lecture. And, when they'd moved to practical application, he had struggled to not flinch whenever the former Headmaster had drawn near.

Ron and Hermione had silently understood his need for help and made sure he was never left alone, or put in a position to be pulled away. They'd even gone as far as to fake needing help a time or two. For a while he was able to lose himself in the dueling the class had been doing. And, he enjoyed watching the blush cover Pansy's face whenever she was put near Ron. He wondered how Ron could miss it, and noticed that Ginny, Luna, and even Hermione, seemed to be encouraging it. He reminded himself to talk to Ginny about it later when they were alone.

Alone.

He was going to be alone with a very much alive Albus Dumbledore. His stomach jumped again at the thought. He shoved his books into his bag and felt Hermione's hand on his back for a moment before she moved past him.

"We'll meet you outside, mate," Ron whispered as he walked by. Harry nodded, but kept his head lowered for a moment longer.

"I love you," Ginny whispered from behind him. "I'll wait outside for you."

"Love you, too, Gin," he answered softly.

As the class continued to empty, Harry looked toward the door longingly and saw Luna, Greg and Pansy each smile encouragingly at him on their way out. He felt a bloom of happiness at their support. It was Theo though that surprised him most of all. In the two days they'd been back at school, he had been shocked to learn how introspective, thoughtful, and understanding the thin, dark-haired, young man could be. Harry didn't remember saying more than a few words to Theo in all their years at school, but after their first conversation at dinner, and the few that how followed since, Harry knew he'd almost missed out on a quality person.

Theo's solemn, stiff appearance reminded Harry of a vicar as he stopped in front of Harry and looked at him for a long moment. Then he stood a bit straighter and said softly, "You did everything you could. More than anyone should ever have asked. It is he that owes you the apology."

Harry nodded his understanding and smiled a bit in thanks. Theo bowed slightly, even as his face, too, relaxed into a small smile. With a nod, he swept from the room leaving Harry alone.

"It seems I have missed out on quite a bit," a soft voice said from the other side of the room.

Harry turned to see Dumbledore standing in the door to his office with a pensive look on his weathered face. His hands were clasped in front of him, and Harry noticed the twinkle in his eyes seemed somewhat dimmed.

When Harry didn't move, but continued to stare at him, Dumbledore stepped back into the room and crossed to him.

"I know you are anxious to get to Transfiguration, but there is something I felt I needed to say. I didn't think it should wait another day."

"Yes?" Harry asked politely as he continued to stare at the man who had been such a large presence in his life.

"I am honored, humbled, and thankful to have known you, Harry. I am a better man for it. I know I was not always as forthcoming as maybe I should have been with you. At times when you most needed my guidance I failed you. Then, knowing what it might do to you, I allowed, no forced you to watch my death. There are no words that I can give you to say how sorry I am that you had to suffer that. I asked more of you than any person has a right to ask of another. Many are correct in saying I used you, not maliciously as they say, but it was done nonetheless. You suffered more than any person should. And, you lost more than most will ever know. And, much of it was at least in part, due to me and my way of handling things. I can only say I am so very sorry and I promise you, Harry, I will never intentionally keep things from you again."

When Harry reminded silent, Dumbledore continued, "I know we have a long way to go to get back the trust we shared. And, I know I am the one at fault for its loss. But, I want you to know that I am still here for you, as your teacher, and I hope one day, again as your friend. As you know we have been paired for your scheduled sessions, but I will understand if you would like someone else."

Harry looked down for a moment in thought. Then he looked back up at the only mentor he had ever known and slowly shook his head.

"I don't know what, if anything, I will have to talk about, sir, but I would not be able to do it with anyone but you."

"That is more than I could ask for, Harry. Thank you."

Dumbledore smiled at Harry and glanced at the clock on the wall. He stepped back as he dismissed him, "Well, I am sure you all can just make it if you hurry."

Harry nodded and whispered a goodbye, but before he reached the door was stopped by Dumbledore's thoughtful voice as he headed toward his office, "It is good to see you making new friends, Harry. And, I personally think Mr. Weasley and Ms. Parkinson will make quite the couple. And, if you would do me a small favor please. Tell Ms. Granger, when the time comes, to follow her heart."

xxxxxx

Parvati sat in her chair in the rear of the room near the door and drew tiny hearts on the edge of her parchment. She glanced around the slowly filling class and wondered where Hermione and Ginny were. She had waved at her sister when she'd entered the room, but Padma stayed with her Ravenclaw friends and moved to sit in the front right side of the room. Since the war, they hadn't been as close as before it; almost like they had changed roles. Where Parvati had been known as the "fun" sister, and Padma the "smart" one, the war had taken its toll, and now most would see them as the "studious" one and "flighty" one, respectively. Padma had come to realize that grades and studies were not as important as finding love and having a life, and she'd dedicated herself to those pursuits. Her innate intelligence would help her maintain her grades, but she would never again give up a date for a night of studying. Her favorite new phrase was, "Life's too short and uncertain."

Several Hufflepuff students filed in and Parvati smiled at Susan Bones and her boyfriend, Wayne Hopkins, and nodded a greeting at Hannah Abbot. The soft smile stayed on Parvati's face as she recalled telling her sister over the summer that boys could wait. It was time to become more serious and focused, as it was her last chance to learn what she needed to be able to make her way in the world. Together they planned to open a day spa in Diagon Alley that catered to witches and wizards wanting a little pampering and escape from their everyday lives. But, the war had shown Parvati that life could change very quickly and she wanted to be prepared for any eventuality.

Glancing down she noted that she'd circled her hearts and added a few tiny letter T's to them. Her smile bloomed as she thought she could possibly have more than she'd planned this year. Who would have thought she would ever have an interest in a bookish, almost geeky man, like Theodore Nott? But, something about his eyes made her feel a bit breathless. She had dated enough to recognize the signs of attraction, so she was sure of where they stood, but for the first time since she was twelve, she wasn't quite sure what to do about it. In previous years she would have flirted shamelessly until the object of her affection fell at her pretty, little feet and begged her for a date. But, she knew most Slytherins didn't beg. She also knew she was no longer a child. As her mother had told her and her sister from the time they'd turned thirteen, 'every date was a potential mate.' And, now, faced with potentially dating someone she could actually picture herself being with a long while, she was stymied.

That brought her to the next small problem. He was a Slytherin and even though she knew he hadn't fought on the dark side, his father was known to have been a high ranking Death Eater. Her parents would not take kindly to that, even more than her father would hate the fact that he was not Indian.

Just as she put a tiny h next to one of the T's the object of her musings walked in the room with Draco, Blaise, Greg and Pansy. She briefly noticed the lingering anger on Blaise's face, the blank slate that was Draco's look, the worry on Greg's, and the distant look on Pansy's. But, she was drawn to the small smile that threatened to erupt into a full fledge grin when she looked into Theo's eyes. It didn't dawn on her to play coy, or look away, she simply stared back with a matching smile and watched him move toward her.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked softly when he reached her.

She slowly shook her head no and her eyes widened when he very formally asked, "May I?" with a small bow.

"Of course," she breathed as she surreptitiously turned her parchment over.

"Have you had a nice morning?" he asked as he sat down next to her.

"Just fine. And, yours?" she asked, her voice a bit more breathy than normal and she felt her hands tremble slightly when his quiet voice washed over her. As they continued to talk, she gripped her quill tighter to keep her hands from shaking, but felt slightly better when she noticed the tiny bit of sweat on his brow. She never noticed the others sit down behind them, or their interested looks.

Greg sat behind Draco and the two conversed as Blaise sat angrily a seat away. Pansy sat one row in front and watched the flirtations of Theo and Parvati. She wondered if there was ever a chance that she would feel what Parvati felt at that moment; the newness, the lightness, the freedom of a new relationship.

Of course that thought made her think of both Draco and Ron. Two very different men with so much in common, but Pansy knew they would balk at the comparisons. She listened to Draco talk to Greg about the upcoming quidditch season and thought again about their similarities,_ man, they are so much alike.  
_  
She heard him before she saw him.

"But, you don't have to meet with him Harry!"

She didn't hear Harry's response, but she heard the tone of his voice and wondered what Professor Dumbledore might have had to say. Pansy turned just in time to see Hermione walk in, her head buried in her bag, as she nodded at something Ginny said to her.

When Hermione laughed softly on her way to a desk, Pansy noted that Draco stopped talking mid-sentence. She watched in shock as his eyes followed Hermione all the way to her seat even though he barely turned his head. She also noticed that Greg saw it as well, as evidenced by the sudden hardening of his features. What made Pansy smile though, was that Hermione saw none of it and Pansy suspected, would never believe it if she was told.

All four sat together a few rows over in what had become their normal seats and continued to talk quietly amongst themselves. She sighed when she saw Harry's thumb sliding slowly back and forth over the back of Ginny's hand, which he held on top of the desk, even though his attention was fully on whatever Ron was saying. When Ron turned to face Harry, he noticed her stare and stopped to give her a short nod and smile before he went back to his conversation. She blushed madly and quickly lowered her face before anyone noticed.

"Let me give you all notice, right now, that this year's class will not be easy, it is your N.E.W.T.S. year after all, but I will do my best to make it fun." The class was silenced immediately as their teacher softly shut the door. Her hair was her favorite shade of pink and she wore gold and grey robes that should have clashed, but somehow fit. "I know many of you, but for those who don't know me, I am Professor Tonks."

When Harry and Ron snickered, she smiled over at them, and her nose quickly turned into a pig snout and then back to its normal size. "I am a metamorphmagus and also a proud former Hufflepuff, so I will have high expectations from those of you from my house!

"Now, let's see who's who. I, of course, know Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Harry, and some of the others I, um, worked with last year. And, of course, I know my cousin, Draco, but I…"

She had to stop when several heads whipped around to stare at Draco and several gasps were heard throughout the class. The fact that someone as cool, powerful, and obviously on the good side was related to Draco Malfoy floored those who didn't already know. Even Pansy's head turned back and forth between the two.

In an effort to save face, Draco sat up straighter and nodded his slightly flushed face, "Good to see you, too, Cousin Nymphadora."

It worked as several people snickered at her given name and she winced and glared at him, "Prat!"

He smirked and shrugged his shoulders, and she smiled a bit, shook her head and continued to meet the rest of her class.

xxxxxx

They had an hour before supper after class and rather than go back to their respective common rooms, headed to the new all-house common room to see what it was like. It seemed most of the students had had the same idea as the new large room was filled with students from every house and every year. All the changes they had seen throughout the school made some feel free and adventurous, and they sought out new people to talk to and games to play. Some felt less sure about the changes and huddled in the groups they were used to, but conversed easily and happily in their new surroundings. In many ways it felt like an all-house party that everyone was welcome to attend. Those that didn't want to join in the party atmosphere read books or played cards as they sat in large comfy chairs and drank juice, soda, or tea from never-empty cups.

The entrance of the very odd mix of seventh year students, who had just completed their first transfiguration class, was largely ignored. A year before the appearance of Gryffindors, Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs chatting amicably would have been not only strange, but cause for alarm. Most especially when the group included Harry Potter and his friends, standing with a sneering Draco Malfoy and his. But, this year, with the war behind them, and faced with so many other changes in their young lives, it barely registered with most of the people packed into the room. A fact that, conversely, wasn't lost on most of the young people in said group.

"Well, that was unexpected," laughed Ginny.

Luna smiled and added, "Well, there are a lot of people here. Maybe they just don't see us. Or, maybe they think this is another one of those new beginnings the professors keep going on and on about."

Pansy laughed, "Yeah, look at us, all four houses and no one's hexing anyone."

Hermione smiled and turned to say something to Pansy, but her eyes fell on Draco first and his intense stare made her forget what she had meant to say.

Greg followed her line of vision and stepped in between them. Then he caught Hermione's eye and smiled as he said, "Well, maybe we should go towards the back and see if we can get a seat."

Her smile came back as she nodded and she turned back towards the room of people.

Harry and Ron simply looked from one Slytherin to another and wondered why they were still there. They knew why Pansy was there as Hermione and Ginny had both explained their budding friendship with the pretty, dark-haired witch. But, that didn't explain to them the addition of Theodore Nott, Gregory Goyle, or, strangest of all, Draco Malfoy. Especially when one look at the blonde man let anyone who looked know he wished to be elsewhere.

Susan Bones and her boyfriend, Wayne pushed past everyone and said their goodbyes as they headed to a table-for-two in the corner. Luna drifted away from the door and waved when she spotted some friends from her house playing games in a far corner of the room. Everyone else stood in the doorway and formed a small circle in their indecision.

Slowly, so as to not appear too forward, and hoping to not draw the attention of the others around him, Theo put his hand on the small of Parvati's back. He felt her stiffen and almost pulled back, but when he chanced a sideways glance at her face, he saw her smile and blush. Then he felt her shift a little more his way, even though her feet never moved. Had anyone else in the group looked, they would have noticed matching grins on their faces, even though they didn't look at each other once.

Hermione stood on her tiptoes and tried to see more of the room, but the crush of people made it hard for her to see over them. Draco almost smiled as he glanced across the group at Hermione and watched her try to stretch her five foot three frame to seek out a place to sit. He stared at the back of her head and realized her hair wasn't the muddy brown he'd always assumed it was. In actuality it was a mix of several shades of brown and there were even strands of almost red in it. And, when she turned her head a bit he saw a light shine to it that made him want to reach over and test its texture. When he felt his hand lift, he was horrified with himself and quickly crossed his arms across his chest and huffed in annoyance.

The sound of his almost snort made Greg, Pansy, Ron and Parvati, who stood the closest to him, turn in his direction. Ron looked like he wanted to say something, but instead just shook his head and turned away. Pansy and Greg both rolled their eyes at him and turned back to the group.

But, Parvati sighed heavily, "You know, Malfoy, no one asked you to join us. You are more than welcome to leave."

Pansy turned and looked at Parvati over her shoulder, "I asked him."

Greg, still rankled from the way Draco had been staring at Hermione shrugged, "But, if he doesn't want to be here, you shouldn't make him, Pans."

Harry glanced over at them all and said, "This is just too weird for me. Gin, come on. Let's find a place to talk." Without waiting for her answer, he took her hand and moved away from the group.

Only Hermione, Pansy, and Draco saw the flare of anger in her eyes, and thinning of her lips. But, just as quickly as it appeared it was gone and she allowed Harry to pull her across the room. Hermione shook her head and looked away with a sigh.

Pansy leaned in and asked softly, "Is she okay?"

Hermione shrugged and said, "I think she's just under a lot of pressure." Then she looked back at Ron, Greg and Theo with a smile, pointedly ignoring Draco's presence, "Can any of you tall people see a place to sit?"

Draco almost nodded because at his height he could easily see several places the seven of them could go, but as he still wasn't sure why he was there, he refused to help them by talking. He also was a bit busy having an internal struggle as to whether or not he felt rebuffed by Hermione's obvious displeasure at him being there and, why he cared. And, why he felt like he could still smell her subtle scent even in such a busy, filled room. In his confusion, he fell back on what was easy, looking disgruntled and not allowing anyone to see what was going on in his mind.

Greg stepped closer to Hermione and nodded eagerly, "I see a spot over on the right. There's a bunch of empty chairs."

Hermione smiled up at him, "Lead the way then." But, when she saw his hand move as if he was going to take hers, she quickly reached up and pretended to shift her bag on her shoulder, stalling his move. He didn't seem to notice as he continued to smile down at her.

Ron, who had finally realized that Greg was interested in Hermione, huffed a little in indignation before he took her arm, "Come on then. Let's grab it before someone else does."

Hermione didn't particularly like being manhandled and pulled her arm from his hand with a frown, but said nothing and followed him to the side of the room. Theo and Parvati went behind them, with Pansy, Greg, and finally Draco following.

When they reached the chairs, everyone flopped down in a chair and continued to look around the room, uncomfortable with what, if anything, they should say to each other. Hermione had honestly wanted to see the new room and spend time with her friends. She'd also wanted to get to know Pansy and Greg a bit better and had looked forward to some time for them to compare schedules. She hadn't expected so many people to join them, nor had she expected Harry and Ginny to disappear on them.

Ron was disgruntled because he really didn't know why he and Hermione were sitting with a bunch of Slytherins. He saw enough of them in class. He couldn't think of one thing to say to any of them, and he was uncomfortable with the looks being shot at Hermione by both Greg and Draco. After class when Pansy had asked Hermione if she could go see the room with her, he hadn't realized Pansy had meant to invite all her cronies. And, he had no idea why she'd wanted to come if all she was going to do was sit with her boyfriend, blush and say nothing while staring at the floor.

Pansy couldn't come up with a single complete sentence. Ron sat across the small table from her and Draco was on her left. She had nothing to say to Draco and couldn't seem to speak to Ron without stuttering. Besides, as far as everyone was concerned, she and Draco were a couple. Hermione was on the other side of Draco and Ginny had left with Harry; without them to bolster her, Pansy's courage failed. So instead, she stared at the patch of golden, greenish, brown on the carpet at her feet that reminded her of Ron's hazel eyes and sighed quietly in despair of what to do.

Greg opened his mouth several times, but couldn't think of anything fascinating enough to say that would bring Hermione's attention to him and keep it there. He noticed her soft, brown eyes moving around the room, and his face fell into a half smile when a tiny grin appeared on her face. Following the line of her eyes, he saw her staring at the line of books that lined the walls of the room. He laughed quietly to himself and wondered what she read for fun.

Parvati and Theo sat on a small sofa together, their legs touching lightly, but neither said a word. It was if they were at a loss as to how to break the silence with the group, and with each other. Every once in a while their eyes would meet, a small smile would creep across their faces, and then they would look away. But, neither made any further move.

Draco, after watching the quiet group for a few minutes had had enough. He could feel the sexual tension from the couple across from him; even though they made no move toward each other and for reasons he couldn't begin to fathom it made him want to look over at Hermione. But, since he refused to do that, he was forced to look at Greg's adoring 'puppy face' as he stared at the pretty witch to Draco's left, watch Pansy's pathetic attempts to not look at the Weasel, and try not to get up and hit the Weasel for simply existing. He was struck again with the fact that Pansy somehow preferred the red-headed man to him and before he thought to stop himself turned to her to ask her why.

"Would you please explain to me," he began. But, when all eyes turned to him, he realized what he had almost done and changed the sentence to, "…why I am here again."

Pansy glanced over at him, her face showing shock that he had broken the silence only to be so rude and stammered, "Well, because, I, um, well, everyone was coming and I thought…"

Hermione jumped in to protect her new friend, "Pansy thought you could be civil long enough for everyone else to enjoy themselves for a minute, Malfoy! I see she was mistaken."

He bristled and turned to face her with his trademarked sneer, "And, if I'm not mistaken, Granger, I was speaking to Pansy."

"Why don't you just leave?!" Ron growled as he sat forward in his seat. "You sure as shit don't want to be here with us and nobody wants you here!"

Hermione saw Pansy flinch at Ron's tone and almost groaned in frustration. Draco simply couldn't stay because it made her very uncomfortable, as he had been acting too unpredictably. He was still rude to everyone, but he also hadn't called her any names, he'd treated her almost cordially in their recent interactions. Then he'd sat next to her in class and not even tried to pick on her. She still wasn't sure what to make of that and was pretty sure she didn't want to examine it. But, she also knew if Draco left, then Pansy would feel she should, too. And, Hermione honestly didn't want Pansy to go since they hadn't even gotten a chance to talk or go over their schedules. A quick glance at her watch gave her an idea of how to fix things.

"Look, we only have about twenty minutes before we supper. Pansy, why don't you and I go have a look at the books?"

Pansy breathed a sigh of relief as a smile lit her face, "Yes, let's."

The two women stood and started to move away but were stopped when Greg stood and said, "That sounds like a grand idea. I wonder if they have any muggle comics."

Draco glanced over at Hermione fast enough to see the flash of irritation in her eyes before she smiled, nodded and turned away again. He once again wondered how many colors were actually in her hair before he caught himself and looked away. Unfortunately, his eyes met Ron's and he found the other man looking back with his brows slightly raised.

Before he could look away, Ron mouthed, "Stop looking at her."

Draco didn't dignify it with it a response and simply looked away as if he hadn't seen it. But, Parvati and Theo had. And, Theo felt the need to once again defend his friend.

He glanced around to make sure that Hermione, Pansy and Greg had moved far enough away to not hear before he leaned toward Ron. "And, why can't he, Weasley? From what I understand you broke up with her so she's a free witch. And, Draco can look at anyone he wishes!"

Draco once again heard Pansy's confession from earlier and realized Theo's words were true. The fact that Hermione was single made him feel a bit…strange, and that ticked him off, so he snapped at Theo. "I wasn't looking at her."

"Yes, you were," Parvati said, bringing his attention to the pretty Indian girl. Her eyes were hard as she said, "But, after all the things you've done to her, all the things you've said to her, about her, all your family did to her, I must ask why, Malfoy. Why would you be looking at Hermione? And, why did you sit next to her in class? What are you and Zabini planning?"

"Yeah," Ron said as he pulled his wand slowly from its holster.

"I'm not planning anything," he spit between his clenched teeth. He then pushed himself up and glared at them, "And, I wasn't looking at her!"

With that he pivoted on his heel and pushed people out of his way as he quickly made his way out of the room. Ron stared after him, a look of suspicion on his face. Theo looked confused and frustrated as he watched his friend's retreating back. But, Parvati's face held a look of dawning awe.

"Oh, my God!" she whispered.

"What?" both boys asked as they turned to her.

She watched the top of Draco's blonde head whip around the corner and her eyes widened as she answered, "He's interested in her!"

"Who?" Ron asked in complete confusion. But, Theo quickly turned and looked her in the eye before looking back at the empty door.

"Oh crap," he sighed and reached blindly for her hand.

She took it without thinking as if they both needed something to hold them to reality, "Yeah."

"He's interested in who?" Ron demanded.

Neither got a chance to answer because right then Hermione, Pansy and Greg returned. Both women held two books each and Greg had a small pile of magazines in his large fist.

"Who's interested in whom?" Hermione asked the group.

"That's what I…" Ron began only to be cut off by Parvati.

"Greg!" she blurted and blushed. She looked a bit apologetic as she said, "He's interested in Hermione."

Greg turned a mild shade of red, but nodded a little as he looked to Hermione. She sighed inwardly, but decided this would be her best chance to get things were she needed them.

She pasted on a smile and hit him playfully with her shoulder, "Oh, I know. I'm interested in getting to know him and being his friend, too. It's so nice to finally be able to make new _friends_ isn't it? I mean, I'm so glad we are all giving each other a chance this year. I think Pansy, Greg, and Theo will be our greatest buddies soon, don't you Ron? Vati?"

Greg shook his head and opened his mouth to answer, but Theo was quick to jump in, "I agree Hermione. This new beginning thing is going to open the door to a lot of new friendships. And I, for one, am very happy to see it."

Hermione's smile was of appreciation as she nodded to him. But, then she saw his and Parvati's intertwined hands and her smile softened a bit as she looked at Parvati. Parvati's grin widened and she winked at Hermione before lowering her head a bit and leaning in to Theo.

Ron was still confused and leaned forward to ask how their talk of Draco and his 'evil' plans for Hermione had turned into a talk about relationships when the bells rang for supper. Almost as one, everyone stood and began to move to the doors, and when his stomach growled Ron was reminded of his hunger and forgot about his question. Allowing Hermione and Pansy to move in front of him, he hurried them towards the doors, suddenly eager to get some food.

xxxxxx

Still ensconced in their corner, Harry and Ginny continued their discussion, completely oblivious to the people rushing the doors of the all-house common room.

"I didn't say that exactly, Harry," Ginny explained again, albeit with less patience than only a few moments ago.

Harry saw the flare of anger in her eyes and sat back a little, even as his own anger abated. "Well, then why don't you explain it EXACTLY, Gin. Because I have no idea what you are talking about!"

"Listen, I love you, I do. I just think we might want to spend a little less time together. I mean, you have a lot to deal with and I don't want to be in your way." She smiled a little as she said it, but he saw the continued anger in her eyes.

"No," he said simply with a shake of his head. "And, if this is what you want, then why are you so angry about it?"

"I'm not angry," she said between her clenched teeth. She didn't notice that her knuckles were white as she gripped the arms of the chair, "I am trying to do whatever it is you need me to do. I want what's best for you."

He leaned forward and took one of her hands, "You are what's best for me, Gin. And, I don't want to take a break, or give us some time, or whatever the hell else you said. I want us to go forward. I want things to go back to the way they were before. I want us to be us again. This past year…"

She ripped her hand from his, punched the arm of the chair and jumped to her feet, "This past year has been all about you! You, the Great Harry fucking Potter! You, the savior of the damned world! You, you, you! It's all about what you want, isn't it? Did you ever stop to think about what anyone else wanted? What I wanted? What I want?"

"Ginny, I…"

Her hands went to her hips as she glared down at him, "No! You wanted the save the world! Bully for you, you did it. You wanted me to stay home like a good little girl and wait for you. Stupid me, I did it! You, Ron and Hermione went off searching for those horcruxes and left me all alone to wait! You WANTED me to be there for you when you came home the conquering hero and I did it! I waited for you. And, I played my damn part! And, I was glad to do it. You know how I feel about you, Harry. I love you, but dammit it's my turn!"

"Gin, what…" he asked coming to his feet.

"I WANT some space, Harry! I have a lot going on right now and now, I want you to wait! You. Will. Wait. For. Me!" she shouted in his face. "Let's see how well you like it!"

Before he could blink she was gone, pushing her way through the small crowd that had gathered to watch. Harry fell back in his chair at a complete loss. He had no idea how things had gotten to that point. Oblivious to the stares of his fellow students, Harry thought back over their conversation. Things had been fine. They'd talked about their days. She'd told him more about her conversations with Pansy and Hermione. They'd laughed together over Greg's obsession with Hermione and where that was headed. And, then he'd suggested they skip supper and go back to her room for some alone time and she'd lost it.

"Did we just break up?" he asked the air around him.

He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder, and looked up at Neville. "I don't think she broke up with you, Harry. She just said she needed some space."

Harry shook his head before he lowered it into his hands, "Things were finally going just the way I wanted them to, Neville. Why now?"

Neville smiled sadly and stepped back a bit before he said softly, "Maybe that's why, Harry."

"What?" Harry asked as he looked up in confusion.

"Just what you just said, Harry," Neville shrugged. "And, what Ginny yelled. Things were going the way you wanted. Did you ever ask her what she wanted?"

xxxxxx

Blaise paced furiously back and forth in front of his professor's desk, his arms flailing as he went, "What do you want from me?!"

"First, Mr. Zabini, I want you to calm down and retake your seat," Snape sneered at his student, giving him his best glare.

When Blaise dropped into a chair, but continued to grumble under his breath, Snape continued, "Now, as I was saying, I didn't risk life, limb and my sanity to watch you piss on it! You need to grow up, Mr. Zabini."

"Grow up? What…" Blaise exploded.

"SIT DOWN!" Snape barked, and watched as Blaise fell back onto the chair. "Yes, you need to grow up. For the past seven years you have sat around letting everyone else rule your life; your mother, Draco, the Dark Lord! You never had to make a decision or choose a side. You did what was easy. Everyone else has had to grow up and figure out where they stood; what they believe in, but you. Even, bloody Potter, had to grow a set in the end. Now, you sit here sniveling like a spoiled child because everyone is not doing what you expect of them. Well, Mr. Zabini, I ask you. What exactly do you want? Who do you want to be? What do YOU think?"

"Mother says we purebloods are…" Blaise began only to be cut off once again.

Snape slammed his hands down on the desk as he pushed himself to his feet, "You! I didn't ask what your mother thinks. Did I? I asked what YOU think. Are you even capable of such a thing? You are pathetic! You dare judge Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Goyle and Mr. Nott on their thoughts. You dare judge me! You have no right to judge anyone, Mr. Zabini. You haven't earned that right! And, I will not be your ally in this need you have for vengeance against those who have done you no wrong."

Blaise pushed himself out of his chair and slammed his own fists on the desk, "Done me no wrong?! You speak of judging Professor, but who judges whom here?! You do not know what I have suffered because of them! What my mother has suffered. I will not sit by and watch Potter, Weasley and Granger, especially Granger, reap rewards while my mother suffers for simply being!"

With a flick of his wand, Snape sent Blaise flying back into the chairs. He rounded the desk as the younger man struggled to right himself and pointed the wand at his throat. His voice was a hiss as he spoke.

"You will stay down!" He met the angry man's eyes and held his stare, "Your mother suffers for her past stupidity. Her whoring ways, sadistic choices, and frivolous lifestyle have finally caught up with her. That is not the fault of anyone but herself. Your hatred of the three of them is misplaced."

Even from his place on the floor Blaise glared up at Snape, "How can you defend them?!"

"Did you hear me defend any of them?" Snape snapped as he leaned down. He sneered, "The story of my past may have come to light, Mr. Zabini, but that in no way changes my feelings on Mr. Potter, his idiot follower, Mr. Weasley, or their loud-mouthed, know-it-all friend. But, unlike you, my reasons for not liking them have nothing to do with something as STUPID as the circumstances of their birth!"

Blaise sighed and moved back from the angry man over him. "Then I don't get it. If you can hate them, why can't I?"

"You sound like a damn Hufflepuff with all this whining!" Snape said as he moved back and lowered his wand. "Tell me then. What are your reasons for hating the little trio of Gryffindor horrors? And, I mean your reasons, not those spoon fed to you by your cronies."

"Well, Potter is…And, Weasley, well…he's, well I can't think of anything specific for him, but, Granger. She's too…nice!" he finally spat, embarrassed to the marrow of his bones. "And, they're Gryffindors!"

Staring at Snape's black eyes he found himself unable to come up with one real reason he hated any of them. It was simply a habit. All his life he had been told that his house and theirs were not to get along. And, all through his years of schooling, he and his friends had followed the dictates of their parents and hated Potter and the Weasleys. It had been expected; it had been what was done. Hating Granger had been easy as she had been such an anomaly that her sheer difference had been enough to inspire his feelings. As a young boy, her brilliance had scared him. As they got older, her burgeoning good looks and upbeat personality had made him feel things he felt he shouldn't. And, then, her well-lauded bravery had finished him off. It made his run to South America seem like a flight of fear. She had made him admire her, and he hated her all the more for it.

"Nice," hissed Snape, breaking into his thoughts as he resumed his seat behind his desk. "You hate Ms. Granger because she's nice and you can't think of anything worse to say of the other two than they are Gryffindors. Well, then Mr. Zabini, maybe you should try to think what that says of you. Regardless, you will cease embarrassing yourself and your house. And, you will not jeopardize your Head position any further. Understood? Dismissed."

Blaise sputtered and stared at his Head of House for a moment before his dismissal registered. With a depressed sigh he turned and left the room. As he got closer to the Great Hall, he heard the sounds of dinner and knew everyone would be there. Snape's derisive words ran around his head and mixed with Pansy's and he knew he would not be able to eat. He just wanted to be alone. Pivoting on his heels, he headed to his room to do as Snape had suggested, think.

xxxxxx

Draco glanced up as Professor Snape swept into the hall. He had noticed the absence of both Blaise and the professor when supper began and as he took in the sneer on the older man's face he wondered what had happened to Blaise.

Draco sighed into his plate as he said to himself, "Couldn't be as bad as mine with Dumbledore."

That took him mentally back to moments before when he'd fled the All-House Common Room and run, literally, into the very much alive former Headmaster.

Draco was ticked. And, upset. And, confused. Which pissed him off! Why had he been staring at Hermione so much? Why couldn't he get that scent out of his head even when she wasn't around? And, why, for the sake of all that was magical, did Weasley have to be the one to notice it? This was HER fault! If she didn't smell so damn good or have all those stupid colors in her hair, none of this would have happened. He could have ignored her kindnesses. He could have just not looked into her expressive eyes. Then he wouldn't be in this predicam…

"Oomph!"

Draco felt his breath whoosh out as he hit what felt like a solid wall and then he was falling. Just as he would have hit the ground a strong hand grasped his and pulled him upright. He came face to face with the twinkling eyes and kindly smile of Albus Dumbledore.

"Mr. Malfoy," he began when Draco righted himself.

"Uh, sorry. Um, Sir," Draco mumbled as he quickly glanced around for an escape.

"Nothing to worry about, young man. You seem to be in quite the hurry. Where are you off to with supper about to be served?"

Draco just stared at him for a long moment and then seemed to shake himself. "Um, nowhere, Sir."

"Good, good. I am actually glad we ran into one another," Dumbledore laughed at his own joke and then turned and indicated Draco should follow. "Walk with me for a moment?"

Although it was posed as a question, Draco was relatively sure there was no way to say no, so he simply nodded and fell into step with the wizard he was supposed to have killed.

"And, how are you adjusting to being back this year?"

Draco glanced over at the older man's face quickly before he answered, "Just fine. Thank you. And, how are you adjusting to, uh…"

"Being alive?" Albus laughed lightly. "Quite well. Quite well."

Nothing more was said for a long while and Draco realized they'd walked down an empty corridor leading to the Great Hall and were almost there. Thinking himself almost safe he heaved a sigh. But, it was then that Dumbledore stopped walking and turned to face him.

"I owe you an apology, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco blinked at the absurdity of the statement and blurted, "But, I attempted to kill you!"

The twinkle stayed in the man's eyes, even as his face became more solemn, "You would not have gone through with it, of that I am sure. It is not in you to kill an innocent person, no matter the reason. And, no, that does not make you a coward. It makes you a person who was in a very bad position, who was faced with the death of his parents, but still couldn't cause that much suffering to someone else. It makes you someone who, regardless of your prior actions or plans, chose the correct path in the end."

Draco tried to close his mouth which he knew was hanging open in a gaping fish fashion, but he couldn't do it.

"And, that leads to my apology to you. I knew much of what you faced two years ago and I did little to stop it. I tried my best to protect you in my limited capacity, but I should have been more diligent. I should have tried harder to make you see the grander scheme. My only excuse is I truly felt you would not have heard me at that time. You were not ready. But, for my part in not trying harder and thereby allowing you to experience such pain, confusion and loss, I am truly sorry."

Draco felt the man's hand on his shoulder and trembled slightly under the warmth he felt through his clothes. He didn't know what to say, and he was sure his voice would crack under the strain of simply trying to remember to breathe, so he simply nodded.

Dumbledore stepped back a step and looked at the sad young man in front of him, "I understand you and I have our meetings together."

Draco swallowed heavily before he answered, "Yes, sir. Every other Thursday."

"Well, I would understand your refusal to attend, but I would like you to know that I think we would both benefit from them. Maybe a way to have our own new beginning."

A habitual and immediate sarcastic refusal came to Draco's lips, but he bit them back. Maybe time with Dumbledore would be beneficial. Talking to someone so completely opposite of himself could possibly help him better understand this new world he found himself in.

A miniscule smile flashed across his face, "I think it could be…good. Sir."

Dumbledore smiled and slapped him on the shoulder as he turned and began walking once again toward dinner. "Good. Now, it's time to fill our stomachs, don't you think?"

"Yes, sir," Draco nodded as he fell into step beside the man he'd once thought of as an idiot, old crackpot. He thought maybe he should say something to show his newfound tolerance and understanding. "Uh, Professor?"

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"In the letter to the students it was mentioned that we should let you know our thoughts on the changes."

Albus turned to look over his half-moon glasses at Draco, "And?"

"Well, I like them. I mean, the additional privacy is nice. And, I think others like it, too."

"That is good to hear. Thank you. You are the first to comment to me directly. I have heard tell of others believing the same, but it is nice to have it confirmed."

They reached the doors of the Great Hall and Draco felt the stares of the other students as they witnessed the unbelievable picture they made. His discomfort turned to shock when Dumbledore opened the door but turned his head to pierce Draco with his stare.

"Oh, and Mr. Malfoy, these new beginnings are nothing to be alarmed about, I assure you. Sometimes things happen as they are supposed to, even if we don't understand them at the time. That is the beauty of life. Each new day brings new and amazing things to surprise us. There is nothing to do but accept, and even embrace them. They, like the people we surround ourselves with, help us grow as individuals. And, there is no shame in expanding one's social circle. It gives us a chance to get to know people we otherwise might not. Even those we think we already know."

Just before Draco could ask the man what he meant, Dumbledore stepped away and entered the hall. Draco was left to wonder what he was supposed to take from those words. And, was Dumbledore trying to tell him something about someone specific?

Draco had then entered the Great Hall and taken his seat as he continued to think about what had been said. He never noticed the others joining him at the table, as none of them spoke to him directly, and he saw little else but the food on his plate as he pondered the meaning or meanings of the Professor's words.

His thoughts were finally pulled back to the here and now when Ron leaned forward, "Oi, Malfoy?"

"What Weasel?" Draco sneered without looking up, his thoughts still on Dumbledore's words and their meaning. It hadn't helped when the group had trouped in for dinner and he'd noticed for the first time the fact that Hermione seemed to be wearing some sort of color on her lips. That had set him to wondering if the Professor had somehow gleaned his confused thoughts on the pretty Gryffindor.

"Now that we're alone," Ron began. "I think it's time for us to come to an understanding."

Draco glanced around the table and realized they were in fact alone. He had no idea where everyone had disappeared to and looked around the room for the other occupants of their table. He didn't particularly like the new table set up, but at least with the others there, he could be forgotten and left alone to his thoughts.

Raising his chin proudly, he glared at Ron, "An understanding about what exactly?"

"I don't know what you and your pal, Zabini, have planned that involves Hermione, but trust me when I say you will never be successful at it."

"Oh really," Draco drawled despite the fact that he felt his stomach lurch at the mention of her name, so soon after thinking about her. "And, if in fact, Blaise and I did have something in mind for your ex-girlfriend, how do you think you would stop us?"

"Leave her alone, Malfoy!" Ron snapped, his face growing red in his frustration and anger. "You will have to go through me, Harry, and the whole of our House, before we'll let you hurt her."

Draco stood up and braced his hands on the table to stare Ron down, "Weasel, I would like to see you try and stop me from doing anything I want to do! And, besides, you don't own her anymore, remember? She's free now…for anything I might have planned!"

Ron stood and mimicked Draco's stance, "You don't scare me, Malfoy. And, you will stay away from her!"

Draco's voice was a hiss, "The day I listen to a freckle-faced, idiot like you is the day they snap my wand! I do what I want, when I want. And, if I want to go out with Hermione, I will, and you can't stop me."

Both men stood straight in shock of what Draco had said. His faced filled with color as Ron's drained, neither looking away from the other.

"What's going on here?" a voice asked from the side of the table.

Both turned to look down at the trio of witches standing beside them, but neither moved to answer. Ron was still in shock that Draco would think, much less admit to, wanting to date Hermione. He remembered Parvati and Theo's conversation and almost swallowed his tongue in dawning understanding. Draco felt horror and panic swell in his chest as his eyes flicked from Ron to Hermione to Ginny and finally to Pansy.

The last placed a hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side, "I asked what was going on."

Ron sputtered, "Noth…nothing. We were, uh, nothing." He chanced another look at Draco and felt a tiny thrill at the look of almost fear on the blonde's face. But, he didn't want to take the chance that Draco might feel the need to say it again, so he reached out and grabbed Hermione's arm. "Let's get out of here."

"Would you please stop grabbing me?!" Hermione snapped as she pulled her arm away. Then she shook her head and said, "Look, we only came over to tell you that we need you to help us find…"

She glanced over at Draco, who hadn't moved an inch, and turned a bit away from him as she spoke softly for only Ron to hear. "…Harry. He and Ginny had a fight and he never showed up for supper."

Ron's eyes flew to Ginny's, but she refused to look at him. "Ginny, what did you…"

"Why is it always me?!" she shrieked, shocking all those around her. "Maybe, just maybe, it's not my fault, Ronald. You know, Mr. Perfect can make mistakes too!"

She turned and ran from the room. Hermione shot Ron a look and then raced after her. Pansy looked torn. She wanted to be of help to Ginny, but for some reason she couldn't pull her eyes from Draco. He looked like he was in pain.

"Draco? Are you…"

"Oi!" Millicent's voice boomed out from behind her. "What's going on over here?"

Ron was glad for the interruption. He didn't know what Draco would have said to Pansy, but he was pretty sure he didn't want to hear it. With a growl of frustration he stepped back from the growing group of Slytherins and after casting one last glance at Draco, hurried from the room to find Harry. His thoughts raced as quickly as his feet as he tried to figure out how so much could have happened in only their first day back to school.

Only two days ago he and Hermione had been a couple. Harry and Ginny had been happy together. And, all the Slytherins in their lives had been well and truly hated.

Tonight, Harry and Ginny were fighting, he and Hermione were no longer together, Parvati and Nott were showing interest in one another, Ginny and Hermione were insisting they give Goyle and Parkinson a chance, and Malfoy wanted…

_NO! Don't think it. He didn't mean it like that. He couldn't have. No, he meant something else. He had to! Stop thinking about it and find Harry.  
_  
Ron shook his head as he ran out of the front doors and aimed for the quidditch pitch. He knew Harry liked to fly when he was angry and hoped he would find his friend there.

xxxxxx


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Draco forced himself to straighten and breathe as he stared after the departing redhead.

_How could I have done that? What was I…was I thinking? Oh, Merlin, will he tell Potter? Hermi…her? What a laugh they'll all have as they talk about how far the mighty have fallen. Merlin, Pansy would just love this, if I told her! And, where did that come from anyway? How the hell could I want Hermi…her all of a sudden? I can't. I don't. I wouldn't want her for all the…shit. But, I do. Damn! Now what? She wouldn't even consider spitting on me if I was on fire, so the entire thing is moot isn't it? Besides, what am I thinking?! I have to marry Pansy. Even if Hermione would think about…after all I've done to her…But, what if…  
_  
"Draco?" Pansy's voice finally broke through his thoughts.

"Malfoy, snap out of it!" Millicent snapped. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

When he didn't answer, but continued to stare at them, Pansy stepped closer and put her hand tentatively on his arm, "What did Ro…um…Weasley say to you?"

Draco expelled a breath and looked down into Pansy's worried upturned face. It briefly flitted across his mind that something was very wrong when he felt absolutely nothing when standing next to his fiancée, but could barely think when across the room from a woman he, only a few months ago, wanted eradicated from the planet.

"It was nothing," he said finally. Then he stepped back and reached for his bag, "I'm going down to drop these off before class."

Pansy nodded, but said, "But, you seemed…"

He cut her off, "I'm fine, Pansy. Nothing you need concern yourself with. Did you need something when you came over here?"

Pansy pursed her lips at his refusal to talk to her when he was so obviously upset, but she didn't feel it was her place to push him. She almost laughed at the absurdity of that thought. She didn't feel close enough to her own fiancé to push him to talk to her about his feelings. She stuck with shaking her head and looking away from him. But, Millicent wasn't so stymied.

"Oi, Malfoy. It can't be nothing. You looked ready to vomit on your own robes. What did that wanker say to you?"

Draco noticed Pansy stiffen, but hold her tongue, at the slur on Weasley and shook his head. "Seriously, Millie, it was nothing out of the norm. Now, if you ladies will excuse me."

Before either could answer he turned and quickly left the hall. He knew his actions bordered on the rude, especially since he was at least mentally thinking about cheating on Pansy, but he needed to get away from everyone, her especially.

He was so lost in his own personal turmoil that he didn't notice as his feet carried him to the dungeons and the Slytherin dorms entrance. The pointy-faced, goateed wizard on the portrait stared haughtily at him as he awaited the password, but Draco didn't even see him. He was too entranced by his own confused thoughts and feelings.

"It is easier to enter when one actually utters the password aloud, Mr. Malfoy," a deep, husky voice intoned.

Draco jerked out of his musings and turned to face Severus Snape. So many thoughts bombarded him at once that he couldn't speak as he stared into the man's face only a few feet away.

"It isn't polite to stare," Snape rasped. "And, breathe before you collapse."

Draco felt his head swim as oxygen swiftly filled his lungs; and the sudden pounding of his heart threatened to take him to his knees. But, years of training took over and he instinctually straightened and blanked his face and thoughts.

"Is there something you needed, Professor?"

"Many things, Mr. Malfoy, but that is neither here nor there. Follow me."

Draco stamped down the immediate refusal and turned to follow the billowing cloak of his Professor.

Neither spoke until they'd reached the empty Potions classroom. Snape swept into the room, but Draco stood unsure in the doorway.

"Sit," Severus softly commanded as he settled in his chair behind his scarred desk.

Draco finally spoke as he entered the room and took a seat in the front row, "You are doing well?"

"I am," Severus nodded. "But, you are not."

Draco ignored that statement and looked at his mentor closely, "You've lost weight. Mother would not be pleased. Speaking of which, has she been informed of your return?"

"She has not. Though I assume news of our return will move swiftly. I will send her a note to arrange a meeting."

"She would appreciate that," Draco nodded.

All was quiet for a long moment, then Severus leaned back in his chair and cocked his head to the side as he said, "A muggle-born, bushy-haired, know-it-all that hates the very ground you tread on, Draco? Could you not choose someone more…inappropriate?"

Draco's head snapped up and he glared at the gaunt man before him, "It's rude to intrude on the thoughts of others."

"Not when they are broadcast so clearly," Snape sneered. "And, what of the lovely Ms. Parkinson? Do you not think your **future bride** would be a mite upset were she to learn she is second to that Gryffindor witch?"

Draco rolled his eyes, crossed his arms and leaned back tiredly in his chair, "As she seems to have an interest in Weasley, I think she would be quite pleased, actually."

"She...," Snape began only to trail off in confusion and revulsion.

Again there was silence as each fell into deep thought. Even though Draco couldn't think of a specific word to follow the question, he finally broke the silence with one word. "Why?"

Snape, who had watched Draco grow from baby to boy to young man, seemed to understand the many implications of Draco's question. He decided to start with the biggest topic first.

"It was the right thing to do. The Dark Lord was an ego-maniacal, half-blood with nothing but the desire for power and more power. He cared for nothing else. He used fear and torture to enforce loyalty and slaughtered those who followed him without care. He cared for no one, but himself. He cared nothing about blood. Not muggle, half blood, nor even pure. If he had, he would never have…"

Draco softly whispered a truism he hadn't wanted to admit all summer, "…let Lily Potter die."

Snape's breath hitched, and his face drained of what little color it had, but he still sneered, "You would throw my past in my face?!"

"No. That's not what I…I would never…"

"Do not speak her name to me!"

Draco's mouth snapped shut as he nodded. He watched as Snape took a deep breath before the older man spoke once more; his voice more controlled.

"In deference to our history I will give you this. Professor Dumbledore has often spoken of love. It was the source of Mr. Potter's protection. It was the reason behind your mother's actions in the end. And, it was ultimately the downfall of the Dark Lord. It is an emotion more powerful than many realize. And, yes, it was the reason behind my actions for the past eighteen years."

Draco couldn't stop himself from asking, "So, where does that leave you now?"

The sneer came back to Snape's lips, "It leaves me unchanged. The only difference is I no longer must fear the threat of exposure. There is little else to be exposed."

Draco didn't know what to say to the man who'd unknowingly protected him so selflessly for the past few years, but suffered unbelievable emotional and physical pain to do so. So he remained quiet and looked down at the desk to avoid the tortured look in Snape's eyes.

The wizard's next words next words made Draco's head snap up and he found his professor staring unfocussed at the wall over Draco's shoulder. Snape's voice was soft, almost a whisper, but his words were sure.

"You could be a better man than either your father or I, Draco. And, as loathe as I am to admit it, you could do worse than Ms. Granger, if given the chance. Life has a way of throwing change at us, whether we are ready or not; whether we want it or not. Should the opportunity present itself for you to make different choices than your predecessors, take them! Do not accept the normal for fear of the unknown. And, do not choose the safe path, unless you feel it is also the right one. If you feel the need to repay those of us who helped you, pay that debt by not living a life that might in the end leave you with regret."

Draco let the words sink in for a moment before he leaned forward to ask more questions, but Snape cut him off as he stood and swept toward his antechamber.

"You may show yourself out. I will contact Narcissa, so she is not surprised tomorrow. Goodnight, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco blinked as the door shut behind the billowing cloak and the room fell into silence once more. He slowly stood and left the classroom, his thoughts awhirl. He was so confused his head hurt. He didn't know what to think as he considered the words of both Professors Dumbledore and Snape. All he knew for sure what that a few months ago things had in a sick, twisted way, made sense, though they'd most assuredly felt wrong. Now, nothing made sense to him, and wasn't sure what to feel.

xxxxxx

"Even in the stars one can sense the centaurs' power," Professor Sinastra's nasal voice said in the darkness. "If you look at it just right, you can almost imagine the arrow flying from his bow."

Harry crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall of the astronomy tower. He couldn't concentrate on what the teacher was saying in his last class of the day as he had too many things on his mind. Part of his brain continued to play out his last conversation with Ginny, and then Neville's words. Even after talking to Ron about it for the past hour, he still couldn't understand what had happened or why she'd gotten so upset.

But, his fight with the love of his life warred with the memories that kept playing over and over in his head. Every time he glanced across the tower he saw Draco and thought back to the last time he and the blonde man had been there together. Harry kept replaying the look on Draco's face as he lowered his wand in front of their former Headmaster and then the events that led to Dumbledore's "death."

Closing his eyes against the pain of the memories, he reminded himself that it was all over. Dumbledore was alive. But, when he tried to force the images away and think of something else, his fight with Ginny would come back again. He didn't even notice the groan that escaped his lips.

"Let the memories come, Harry. If you fight them, they will continue to hurt you," Luna whispered from his left. "If you face them, the pain will lessen."

He turned to look at her and saw that she wasn't even looking at him. She stared up at the sky, as if fascinated, and he wondered if she realized she had spoken. There were times when he thought she might be skilled at Occlumency since she always seemed to know what to say and when, even though most believed her words to be little more than drivel.

"It's just hard," he whispered back, turning his face to the sky. He didn't realize how loud he had spoken until he felt Parvati reach over from his right to pat his leg in comfort.

"She loves you, Harry. Just give her time to settle. It will be okay," Parvati whispered. "I think she's just confused and overwhelmed. It's not you."

He nodded silently and continued to look at the sky. Then he sighed, "Why can't things just go right for a change?"

xxxxxx

"What exactly do you think is so wrong? You seem to be adjusting just fine," Blaise's said softly on the other side of the tower, so as to not draw attention to his and Draco's conversation. They didn't need a detention from Sinastra so early in the school year. And, as Head Boy, as Snape had reminded him, he certainly didn't want to lose his house any points.

Draco heard the snide edge to Blaise' voice and took a breath before he answered. He and Blaise had started their conversation over an hour ago before class, but they hadn't reached an understanding and he was getting as frustrated as his friend.

"Everything and nothing. Regardless of what you insist upon believing, you aren't the only one confused as shit around here!"

Blaise practically spat, "I'm not confused. I see everything very clearly. It's you, Greg, and Theo that seem to not remember who you are! Hell, even Snape seems to have forgotten his place!"

"His place?" Draco sneered as he turned to look at Blaise. "What place would that be exactly, Blaise?"

"He's head of Slytherin, even if he isn't a pureblood! He should act like it."

Draco shook his head and pretended to look up at the constellation the teacher was pointing out to the class, as he said, "And, how would he do that exactly? There is no common thread amongst those of our house, even those of pureblood, dammit. I finally figured that out. Why can't you? Purebloods aren't all rich. Look at the Weasleys. Hell, look at me now. We aren't all better or smarter, half of our house is evidence of that. The only things we have in common are families with long histories, inbreeding that is wiping us out, and a hell of a lot of problems."

"I don't even know you anymore," Blaise answered. "What happened to the Draco Malfoy I used to know?"

Draco sighed heavily, "He lost too much and grew up too fast."

Blaise growled in frustration as those words came from Draco, just as they had from Snape. He couldn't think of anything to say back, so he just stopped talking.

The professor asked a question of the class, but neither paid any attention to it or the answer as they stayed lost in their own thoughts. They just wanted the day to finally end.

xxxxxx

Pansy awoke the next day to the sound of Millicent's snorts and snores heard clearly through the closed bathroom doors from the other bedroom. A glance at her clock told Pansy it was still very early, but she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. She lay still for a moment and thought back over the previous two days. It was as if a veil she hadn't been aware of before had been lifted and she could finally see everything clearly.

She smiled as an image of Ron flitted across her mind's eye and wondered how, if, she could make him see her. He wasn't dimwitted, but he also wasn't quick when it came to affairs of the heart. His years of "not" pursuing Hermione were clear evidence of that, so Pansy knew she'd have to think of something blatant to make her intentions clear. But, she also knew she had two major obstacles in her way. First, there was the issue of his possible disinterest; a thought that made her want to curl up and cry. Pushing that depressing thought aside, she focused on her other problem, Draco Malfoy and their engagement.

One thing she had decided the day before while talking to Hermione and Ginny was that, no matter what, she couldn't marry him. They were friendly, and might someday be close friends, but she couldn't imagine spending the rest of her life like her parents had. The very idea of spending her vacations alone, or with a lover, while Draco did the same, and then pretending to be devoted to one another when at formal functions, saddened her. She wondered how her parents did it. And, she wondered how they would take the news of her plans.

Pansy sighed once again as she tried to find the words she would need to explain her choice to them. Thinking back on her life, she couldn't think of one time she had defied them, or not acted as they thought was appropriate. And, now, she would be doing both at once. She knew they loved her in their own way, but knowing she was going to upset and disappoint them so severely made her question her decision. Maybe she should just leave well enough alone. Besides, what would she do if Draco chose to fight her? He would win and she would still lose the freedom she hoped to gain. With resolve she pushed that thought aside. No, she wouldn't let that happen.

"Ron or no Ron, I am not marrying Draco Malfoy!" she whispered to herself and sat up in her bed. With a nod, she got up and prepared for her day. With a packed day of classes to focus on; her love life would have to wait. She would need to concentrate today since she had Charms, Muggle Studies, and History of Magic. And, that was after she attended one of her favorite classes, Ancient Runes. She smiled to herself when she remembered Hermione, Parvati and Theo would be in her class.

As she walked into the bathroom she shared with Millicent, she laughed to herself. Only two days ago, she had firmly believed Theo to be a boorish, snot. His "holier than thou" attitude had always made her feel as if he'd viewed her as a parasite. But, now, seeing him in the throes of a crush, she realized she had never really known him either. Much like Draco, he had hidden his insecurities behind bland, bored looks, and waspish answers; his harsh words his only protection against those around him. As he lowered his defenses in his pursuit of Parvati, Pansy got to see a man she would never have believed existed. Each time she thought of his stutters as he spoke to the pretty Indian, Gryffindor woman, it brought a laugh to her lips.

She also recognized the look of determination mixed with uncertainty in his eyes when he spoke to people now. It was if he was challenging everyone to see him for what he was and confront him with it, so he could defend himself. She recognized it because as she applied her lip gloss and stepped back from the mirror, she saw the same look in her own eyes.

xxxxxx

Hermione had had a difficult evening, barely any sleep and a bad morning, as evidenced by her appearance in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy, her skin blotchy, and her hair a mass of ringlets she couldn't be bothered to do more with than pull it back into a bun at the base of her neck. She hauled her bag up on her shoulder and flounced down the stairs to meet Parvati and head to class as she thought back over the night before.

First, in the common room after Harry had been located the previous evening and he and Ginny had left to go back to her room talk, Ron had acted like an overprotective brother and warned her to stay away from Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. He'd ranted about their attitudes and actions for the past seven years, as if she hadn't lived it, too. He had started with the anger he felt from Zabini, but quickly moved to the strange actions of Malfoy. When Hermione had questioned his sudden obsession with the two Slytherins, he'd clammed up and refused to say why he was so adamant she stay away from them. This, of course, had led to a major row when she had reminded him that she could take care of herself and he had said that she was no match for the two physically larger men. She had let him know what she thought of that and he had told her that she should and would listen to him and stay away from them. Hermione reminded him that they were no longer together and that she could and would befriend anyone she saw fit.

After she had left him and gone up to her room, his shouts still ringing in her ear, she'd slammed the door and poured her anger out in her diary. While writing she kept going back to Draco's actions, her new feelings around him and Ron's anger, and ended up so confused that she hadn't been able to study properly afterward. Finally, she'd decided she needed air and gone back downstairs to sit on the balcony outside of their common room. As she'd stared at the stars above she noticed movement from the tower and realized from the glint off of his hair that Draco must have gone back after class. She stared up at him lost in thought as to what he was doing and thinking. She knew he probably needed to exorcise the demons of his past and felt her heart go out to him as she envisioned him dealing with the pain of his actions during sixth year by himself up there.

Part of her wanted to go to him and give him the hug she thought he might need. But, the rest of her laughed at the thought that he would accept her offer of kindness. More likely than not, he would sneer at her compassion and stalk away; leaving her embarrassed to have tried. Again. She continued to stare up at the tower as he paced back and forth until he stopped and she thought she could feel his eyes on her. She gasped at the thought and backed off the balcony her heart pounding. She flew back up to her room, ignored Parvati's questions on if she was okay or not, and went to her room. When her swirling thoughts gave her a headache, she forced herself to lie down and try to sleep. It hadn't worked and she had gotten up the next morning very cranky and touchy still trying to figure things out for herself.

Parvati refrained from speaking when Hermione met her at the door and they silently made their way to class. When they reached the long hallway of classrooms they passed HIM and Hermione pursed her lips in aggravation; an action Parvati noticed. She chanced a glance at Draco and saw him watching Hermione out of the side of his eyes. She was pretty sure he wasn't aware of the slowing of his step, or the way he stood straighter, even as he kept his face passive, nodding to whatever one of his housemates was saying to him.

"Did he say something to you? Do something?" she asked softly after they had passed him and she heard Hermione's expelled breath.

Hermione shook her head and sighed, "No. He just…well, I…oh this is ridiculous! I don't know what's happening, Vati."

"What's happening to whom? You? Or, him?"

"Me, I guess. And, Ron. And, Harry and Ginny. And, Drac…him. Just everything." Hermione stopped outside of the classroom and leaned against the wall to wait for the Professor to open the doors. She kept her voice low as she continued, "I knew things would change when we came back here. I knew everything would be different, I guess I just didn't think about how different."

Parvati leaned closer and kept her voice low as she saw Pansy and Theo approach, "I know it won't help to say, but just try not to rush to judgment, Hermione. Give things a chance to even out. I think everyone's emotions are running high and no one really knows what's happening. No one knows where they stand anymore. Everyone has suffered, changed and, I guess, grown up this past year, even, I think, Draco Malfoy."

"Hello ladies," Theo said as he came up to them his cheeks flushing a bit as he smiled softly at Parvati.

"Hi!" Pansy echoed brightly.

"Hi," they chorused, but Parvati's was only for Theo.

Pansy threaded her arm through Hermione's and leaned closer, "Are you okay? You look a little, um, like you had a bad night."

"Nicely put," Hermione chuckled at Pansy's attempt at tact. "I look like crap and I know it. But, I am fine, Pansy. Just a lot on my mind."

"Anything you want to talk about?" she asked sincerely.

Hermione shrugged, "Maybe later, okay?"

"Okay," Pansy nodded.

"How about you?" Hermione asked. "Did you think about what we talked about yesterday?"

Pansy nodded, "I just have to figure out what to say to my parents. And, Draco. I know it won't hurt more than his pride, but I don't want him to think any of this is because of whom he is or all that's happened to him and his mother."

Hermione nodded, but remained quiet.

"I did come to another realization last night though," Pansy ventured; her eyes down as she tried to find the right way to say the next sentence.

"And," Hermione prompted.

"He's interested in someone. Really interested. I know he hasn't a clue what to do about it, but I know him well enough to know how he acts around someone when he likes her. I think they would be great together if they gave one another a chance. I like her. She's pretty amazing, actually. And, they've known each other for a long time, but they don't really _know_ know each other. They've been at odds a lot, so I'm not sure what he's thinking. But, I see the way he looks at her when he thinks no one is watching, and he seems to be really…well, I guess interested is still the best word. I know they've never really had a long conversation with one another and I don't know if she would even think about giving him a chance. He was always such an ass to people before. Especially her. And, he doesn't open up and talk about himself easily, so I don't know if he would risk putting himself out there just now, after all that's happened, to risk her rejection."

"Everyone has changed, Pansy," Hermione said, hearing herself echo Parvati's words. Then she smiled softly and continued, "I'm sure he's not the same person he used to be. None of us are. If he likes her, maybe he'll show her some of those good qualities you assure me he has."

"Yeah, maybe," Pansy said as she looked back down at the floor, unsure how to proceed.

For reasons she couldn't quite understand Hermione felt uncomfortable talking about Draco Malfoy's love life, but forced a smile, "And, think how it could work out for you. Maybe he would even be the one to break things off if he fell in love with this girl."

Pansy nodded and glanced up her face earnest, "While that's true, I wouldn't want either of them to think that I would force them on each other just to get out of my problems. I'm not that type of person, Hermione. I really like them both and truly think they would be great together. I can see them having a long, real relationship. They would really bring out each other's best qualities. But, I would never suggest something like this just to…"

"Oh, Pansy, I didn't mean to suggest…"

"I know," she interrupted. "I just didn't want you to think I was being…well, sneaky and Slytherin about things."

"It honestly never crossed my mind," Hermione said as she shook her head. "And, I would think you would know Drac…Malf…ahem, him well enough to know his type of woman. If you feel so strongly about it, maybe you should give them a push and see what happens. You never know unless you try, right?"

Pansy tilted her head thoughtfully and then nodded and smiled. Just then the door to the classroom opened and Professor Lupin beckoned them into the room. Pansy watched Hermione and the professor greet each other warmly and took her seat. With crossed fingers she waited until the Professor stepped up to start class before she leaned close to Hermione.

"You're right. And, maybe you should give him a chance then, so he can prove he's not the guy you think you know. There's my push."

She smirked when Hermione's head whipped around, her mouth open to retort, only to be stopped by Professor Lupin beginning the class.

xxxxxx

Draco stood next to a silent Blaise and Greg and waited for the rest of the Charms class to show. The first people to come around the corner were a laughing group which included Potter, Weasley, Ginny, and Luna. He noticed that Harry and Ginny stood apart from one another and wondered what had taken place to separate the usually hand-holding couple. Before he could ponder it much further he felt Blaise stiffen beside him and watched their laughs die as they locked eyes with one another.

The foursome moved to stand quietly against the opposite wall and Draco wondered why they all bothered with the silence, as the air itself crackled with their animosity. He suddenly felt tired again.

Finally, Luna shook her head and looked across at them. "Good morning, Greg, Draco, Zabini."

Blaise grunted folded his arms and looked away. Draco nodded a greeting, but didn't speak.

Only Greg smiled as he stood a little straighter in relief at the tension being broken, "Morning to you, Luna. Um, hi, uh guys."

Harry and Ron nodded, much as Draco had done, but didn't answer. Ron and Draco glared at one another, but didn't speak. Ginny rolled her eyes at them and then smiled at Greg, "Hey. Good morning so far?"

He nodded and opened his mouth to answer, but before he could Pansy came tearing around the corner, skidding to a halt out of breath near them. Everyone jumped and several wands appeared quickly, but surprising himself even more than the others, it was Draco who stepped forward in concern. She was his fiancée, after all, and in most ways, a friend.

"Pans? What's happened? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Pansy's head shot up from where it had been hanging between in her shoulders as she bent over gasping for breath. She couldn't talk, so she settled for nodding and trying to straighten up, grabbing at the stitch in her side. She looked around and saw Harry, Ron, Ginny, Draco, and Greg all had their wands pointed at the corner as if expecting something awful to come around after her. She almost laughed in glee when she noticed that Ron had actually moved to block whatever it was from getting to her.

"Seriously…okay…nothing bad…just in a….hurry," she gasped.

Draco still looked doubtful, but lowered his wand slowly, "You're really okay?"

Before she could answer Ron added, "What happened?" just as Ginny asked, "Pansy, what happened?" and Harry asked, "Why?"

Pansy finally looked around at the tense group and giggled nervously, "I'm fine really. Sorry to scare everyone. I was just in a hurry."

Ginny still looked skeptical, but slowly lowered her wand, "Are you sure?"

Pansy nodded, "Yeah."

Ron turned to look at her in confusion and repeated Harry's question, "Why were you in such a hurry to get to Charms?"

Pansy looked up into his eyes and blushed, "I, um, I, well you see…"

She was saved from answering when Theo and Parvati's voices were heard coming around the corner.

"I just love having a room all to myself. I always miss that when I came back to school. Padma and I have separate wings, so it's always been a bit strange having to share a bedroom throughout the school year."

They heard Theo's low laugh, "Well, imagine growing up an only child and then having to share with a bunch of other blokes most of the year. Blaise snores like a…"

His voice trailed off as they rounded the corner and were faced with the stares of their friends. Theo flushed at the look on Blaise's face.

"Oh, uh, hi," Theo said.

Parvati's smile slid slowly from her face as everyone stared at them, their good mood evaporating. She nodded a greeting, but didn't break the quiet. Greg looked around and realized who was missing.

"What happened to Hermione? Where is she?" he asked, his voice laden with concern.

Just then she came around the corner, answering his question. The look on her face froze everyone for a moment. She was angry.

Pansy squeaked and stepped back from the advancing young woman.

"Running won't help you. I heard what you said quite clearly," Hermione stated. She seemed not to notice the others as she continued, "That was low, Pansy! I can't believe you would even suggest something like that! "

Pansy realized Hermione wasn't going to hex her to bits and took a cautious step forward, "I wasn't joking, Hermione. I really do believe it's true. All of it."

Hermione was now chest to chest with the slightly taller woman, hands on her hips, "Well, you boxed me into a nice, little corner didn't you? Even after saying you didn't want to be sneaky about things. That was quite, dare I say, Slytherin of you, wasn't it?"

The others stood with their heads going back and forth between the two women whose voices were slowly rising. Even as other students entered the hallway, no one said a word as the fight raged in their midst.

Pansy had the grace to blush a little, "Okay, but just the last bit, and if you would listen to me…"

"No, I will not!" Hermione interrupted. "The very idea is ridiculous! And, all that 'she wouldn't give him a chance' crap, what was that?! Even if I did, we both know he wouldn't!"

Pansy put her hands on her hips, too and half shouted, "It wasn't crap! It's true. I see it in his eyes, in his actions. You can't be that blind and naïve. You have to have noticed!"

"I don't have to have done anything," Hermione huffed. "Hell, Pansy, I've been single all of day and half and you've got me practically married off to him! Besides, it's a non-issue. Even if I am the teensiest bit interested, I wouldn't put myself through the humiliation of saying anything. He'd gleefully rip me to shreds! And, it was very unfair of you to place it all on me!"

Pansy looked a bit sheepish as she defended herself, "I didn't mean it that way. I just wanted you to think about it clearly, without preconceived ideas. You just have to trust me when I say I know for a fact that he wouldn't rip you to shreds. And, timing has nothing to do with it. You said you've been over Ron for a long time!"

Hermione was about to answer when Ron muttered, "Gee thanks!" and interrupted their fight.

Both women froze as they realized that the entire class was watching their fight. Everyone watched as both witches' faces slowly drained of color and they could almost see them each going back over the fight to check what they had said. Hermione finally stepped closer to Ron.

"I'm sorry. I didn't say it like that," she said.

He looked down at her and gave a half shrug, "Whatever."

"No, Ron, listen to me," she asked reaching for his arm.

He pulled it away, but didn't move as he continued to look at her.

She suddenly couldn't think of anything to say, and was saved by Pansy stepping forward. She cleared her throat and wrung her hands as she spoke.

"She didn't say it like that, Ro…Ron. I promise. She just…"

He finally sighed and crossed his arms, "Look, can we just drop it?"

Both women nodded mutely and looked down. The rest of the class stayed silent as they took in the conversation, the news of Ron and Hermione's breakup, and the implications of what the two had said during the fight. Before anyone else could say anything the classroom door opened and Professor Flitwick beckoned them in for class.

Draco stayed where he was as the class started to enter the room, lead by Hermione. He watched his friends and hers go in after her and wondered about their fight. Question after question swirled around in his head. Hermione had been over Ron a while? Pansy wanted to set her up with someone? With who? Why did Hermione think the guy would humiliate her over it? Didn't she know how popular and pretty she was? Who was the guy? And, why was he, Draco, so angry that some other guy was going to get a chance with her? When did he get so…involved in the love life of Hermione Granger? And, why did she show up, smelling like…home, every time he finally got the scent out of his head?

"Will you be joining us today, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Flitwick's voice squeaked up at him.

Draco jumped slightly and then nodded as he passed the professor. "Sorry, sir."

He quickly scanned the room for a seat and his eyes met Hermione's. For a moment he felt like he should say something, anything, to erase the look of confusion that instantly erased her soft smile. He felt his body start to take an involuntary step toward her, but was thankfully saved from the embarrassment when the professor pointed out a seat a few rows back from her and suggested he be seated so they could begin class.

Draco hid his embarrassment behind a smirk and moved across the room to the seat saved for him by Greg and Blaise. Just when he thought he would make it without mishap, he passed Hermione and her soft welcoming perfume washed over him once again. He smothered a low groan and he forced his feet to continue to move.

xxxxxx


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story

**Chapter 10**  
  
Class continued with Professor Flitwick's lecture on the importance of N.E.W.T.S., how difficult their final Charms exams would be, and the low groans of the students in response. Theo tuned everything out. He instead sat back to ponder all that had happened that morning.

He glanced around the room and saw Parvati's long, straight, dark hair slide over one shoulder as she tilted her head to take notes on the various charms they would be learning over the upcoming year. He grinned when he remembered her taking his hand after Ancient Runes class, as if it was the most normal action in the world. Happily surprised, he had willed his hands not to shake and his palms not to sweat, and hoped she wouldn't notice the slight waver to his voice when he asked about them possibly studying together later.

Her pretty blush and the way she wouldn't look him in the eye, let him know of her own nervousness at her bold action, even as she smiled and answered, her voice strong and sure. Her small show of bravery had relaxed him enough to stop the stutter that had been forming and after taking a calming breath he had gripped her hand a bit tighter and asked her about her new rooms. He didn't know what he had done that earned him a chance with her; he just hoped he didn't blow it. He also hoped, if he played his cards right, he could soon have his first girlfriend.

The professor droned on as Theo glanced down a few rows and took notice of Harry and Ginny sitting with Luna, Ron, Hermione, and Parvati all between them. He knew of some of their fight from things he'd heard from them at breakfast, but wondered if they had actually broken up with each other and just hadn't admitted it out loud. For some reason the thought of it saddened him. He didn't know why, but he knew they simply fit each other, and he hoped they could get past their misunderstandings. From what he could gather it was just a matter of Ginny needing some time, space and control over her life. He understood that completely. But, he knew Harry didn't get it. He made a mental note to try and talk to Harry at lunch to see if he could help.

Theo then looked at the back of Hermione's bent head for a second and her fight with Pansy came back to him. He heard their words again in his head and wondered who Pansy would try to set Hermione up with that would cause such duress. Thinking back over his and Parvati's revelation the day before he felt badly for Draco, knowing he, too, had heard the fight. Theo made another mental note to talk to Draco and see if he could get him to talk. The night before Draco had disappeared right after Astronomy and not shown up in their room until well after midnight. Theo had heard Draco come up the stairs and go to his room, but he had been too tired to get out of bed and start what could have been a very long conversation. So, he'd rolled over and gone to sleep intending to try before breakfast. But, by the time he'd gotten up and dressed, Draco had been nowhere to be found.

He looked in front of him at the bent blonde head and felt sorry for him. He knew Draco was still reeling from all that had happened in the space of only a few months. He could only imagine everything else the other man was going through; all the school changes, fighting with Blaise, being engaged against his will to Pansy, handling all the other students and their reaction to him, and dealing with whatever it was he was feeling for Hermione. Theo knew it couldn't have been easy for Draco to hear that Pansy was trying to set Hermione up with someone, and with everything else Draco had to deal with, Theo knew he needed a friend. He just hoped he would be accepted as that friend.

With a sigh Theo turned his head to look at Pansy on his left. Theo watched her for a moment and saw her eyes flicker back and forth between Hermione and Draco as she bit her lip and muttered to herself. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together, even though he was one, and he felt his jaw drop open.

xxxxxx

The walk from Charms to Potions was done quietly as the majority of the group trouped down to the dungeons together. Pansy had said a soft goodbye and fled from the room almost before Professor Flitwick had fully opened the door. Parvati and Theo had said goodbye to everyone and headed off to the all-house common room to study, with Luna trailing behind them.

Hermione didn't say a word as she walked quickly down the hall. Ron huffed and sighed on one side of her, and Greg kept pace with her on her other side. Harry and Ginny followed behind them, but they didn't speak to each other, and she knew without looking, that they were keeping their hands to themselves. She also knew that behind them were Blaise and Draco.

She felt her breath hitch slightly at the thought of him watching her walk from behind. No sooner than the girlish questions of 'how's my hair look?' and 'does my butt look too big from behind?' crept into her brain than she stamped them down. She wasn't one to worry about such inane things; at least not normally.

_But, what about this year has been normal so far?_ she asked herself. _And, why do I even care what he thinks? It's not like I am that interested in…well, not really really interested. No, I'm not. I'm intrigued by the idea is all. Yes, that's it. That and I feel badly for all he's gone through. Yeah! It's not his eyes, or his lips, or his body, or his brain. No! None of that. I can't really be interested in Draco Malfoy. I just naturally want to get to know him as I get to know his friends better, that's all. I mean really! I can't even imagine kissing him and…damn! I can and he just looks like he could…STOP THAT! Even if I am more than a teensy bit interested, it's not like Pansy's right about him liking me. And, if I said something to him… Wouldn't he just love that?! Oh yeah, Hermione, give him actual ammunition, why don't you? He's tormented you for years with nothing real to go on, just go ahead and act stupid, give him something real to pick on you about, why don't you?! Sheesh! Not that it matters, as I am NOT interested. Right? Right! Right? Crap!_

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice them reach the dungeons until Ron's arm came across her middle to stop her from slamming into the wall. Hermione blinked at the wall for a second before she realized what had happened and turned quickly to see her friends laughing faces.

"Must be a damn good day dream?" Ron teased.

Ginny smiled at her, "Yeah. I called your name twice and you didn't even flinch."

"So?" Harry laughed. "What were you thinking about so hard?"

Hermione felt herself blush at being caught thinking about Draco, but refused to look in his direction and give herself away.

Before she could answer Greg leaned closer, "You're blushing! What WERE you thinking about, huh?"

"I am not," Hermione playfully pushed him back. "I'm just warm from the walk is all."

He grinned and leaned back against the wall, but before he could retort the classroom door was wrenched open. In unison the class straightened at the sight of Professor Snape in the doorway scowling at them.

"Well?" he snarled. Even though the entire class stood still in the hall, he focused his gaze on Harry and hissed, "Do you now need a Ministry engraved invitation, Mr. Potter?"

Harry shook his head, but the look on his face betrayed his anger, as he swept past his professor and entered the room.

Hermione had risked a glance at Draco and saw that he looked slightly ill. She assumed it was at the thought of seeing Professor Snape alive and well. She knew she wasn't completely used to the idea herself. But, when his oily, dark voice slid over them, and he fell back on the habit of picking on Harry, she glanced sharply at her professor, and knew he was really back. For whatever reason, it made a bubble of happiness swell in her chest. As awful as he was to her and her friends, he was real. His simple presence was strangely comforting. He was the embodiment of normalcy. He was a reminder that they had made it through and that things although different, would be okay.

When it was her turn through the door, she smiled happily up at the dark, brooding face of Professor Snape and received a scowl in return. Without another glance she entered as she let the building giggle burst forth.

Ron and Harry gave her puzzled looks, but Ginny nodded and smiled back. She understood and that made Hermione feel even better. With a grin she sat in her seat and turned to face the front. The grin slowly slid from her face as her eyes met Draco's as he entered the room and stopped.

It was if the air had been sucked from the room and they were suddenly alone. She could hear her own heart beat loudly in her ears and forced herself to take a shaky breath as his eyes seemed to search hers. The air hitting her lungs made the sounds of the room rush back and she shook herself slightly as she looked away, effectively ending the moment.

xxxxxx

When their stare broke Draco felt his hands shake and made fists as he stepped across the threshold and went to the back of the room to an empty table. He knew without looking that Greg and Blaise would follow and tried to relax his face before he turned to face them. When he was seated, Draco forced himself to look straight ahead and adopt his normal 'bored' expression.

_Why was she staring at me like that? Did she figure out that I've been, that is, that I'm…whatever! And, how come she can smile at every damn body, including Greg, but when she looks at me, she just shuts down?! Or, worse, gives me that look that says she feels sorry for me. Well, I don't want her pity! I want her bod…Stop that, dammit! Just 'cause she and the weasel broke up doesn't mean she would ever even think to give me a chance. After all I did to her, why would she? Besides, Pansy seems to have Mr. Perfect already picked out for her. God, why is this happening to me now? Why now, when everything is so wrong, do I decide that I want Granger? Why not before when we would have stood a shot? Oh yeah, and when was that exactly, idiot? And, why can't I stop it? This is ridiculous! I am no first year with his first crush, dammit! I am Draco Malfoy! And, if I want a girl then I…I…oh yeah, I'm Draco Malfoy; the one who tried to kill Dumbledore, the one who risked students and teachers lives by letting Death Eaters into the school, the one who let a teacher be tortured and killed in his dining room. Oh, and don't forget the coup de grace, the man who turned her and her friends in and let her be tortured in my sitting room by my crazy aunt. Yeah, Granger, I'm a real catch. I can see why you'd want to give me a chance. Right! Even if I have changed and learned a lot, she wouldn't waste a minute of her time to stop and hex me, much less talk to me. And, I can't actually say I would blame her. If only she would see that I…  
_  
"Well, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape's voice interrupted into his thoughts. "Don't you think you should get started?"

Draco glanced quickly at him and then around the room to see everyone either writing down ingredients or hurrying to gather things from the cabinets.

"I'm sorry, sir," Draco said as he stared up at Snape, "but I didn't hear the assignment."

The professor's features sharpened in annoyance, and he crossed his arms across his chest, but he repeated the work anyway.

With a raised brow, Snape said, "You are to make 3 simple potions, the Boil Cure potion, the Forgetfulness Potion, and a Swelling Solution. The class was given 90 minutes, you now have 83."

Draco wasted no more time and nodded his thanks as he stood and moved quickly to the queue at the shelves. He didn't even realize who he lined up behind until her scent assaulted his nose. He felt his heart thud in his chest as he realized they were no more than centimeters apart. If he moved forward a bit he would have his nose in her hair. If he lifted his hand he could…

But then she turned and bumped into him. He instinctively reached out to grab her arms to keep her from falling and she glanced up at him and gasped. He felt his hands start to shake again as she froze against him, her eyes wide and searching. He watched the look on her face go from surprise to shock to blank to wary, but he also saw her pupils dilate. He knew enough about anatomy to know that she was either a little turned on or very afraid. Assuming the latter, he quickly let go of her and stepped back.

"Sorry," he muttered and moved out of her way. But she didn't move.

After a moment of silence, as the rest of the students bustled around them, she whispered, "You apologized to me."

Annoyed that she said it as if he'd never done anything like it, he sneered, "What of it?"

She shook her head, but didn't say anything else as she continued to stare up at him with her lips slightly parted. He had the insane urge to grab her and kiss her in front of the entire class, but shook his head a little instead to clear it.

"Can you move?" he finally asked, only a fraction of his normal disdain showing, "Others need to get ingredients, too." When she didn't move, he tilted his head a bit and smiled, "Please?"

He chuckled when her mouth fell open in shock and she took a step back. He wasn't sure what had shocked her more, his smile or his words, but it felt good to render the normally chatty girl speechless.

When she didn't move he sighed and reached around her to grab at bottle off the shelf. His chest was in front of her face when he heard her squeak and step around him quickly. He smiled to himself and reached for another bottle just as a hand closed over his.

"Don't play around with her, Draco. She's not your type," Greg said into his ear.

Draco sighed to himself because he knew it was true, but when he turned his head to Greg's his face was impassive. "Maybe, maybe not. But, she's not yours either."

He saw the flash of hurt on his friend's face and started to apologize. But, Greg turned away from him and lumbered away before he could speak. He cast a quick glance at Professor Snape and the look on his face told Draco that he hadn't missed the interaction. Draco lowered his eyes and made his way back to his seat.

"When a man would hurt a true friend just to screw some bint, something is really, very wrong," Blaise's bland voice greeted him when he got back to the table.

Draco raised his eyes to see Blaise staring at him and Greg staring at his cauldron.

"Greg, I…"

"No, don't," Greg cut in sadly, "it's probably true."

Draco felt awful for his friend, "Look, maybe she just needs time to get to know you better. I didn't mean what I said, I was just…"

"You want her," Blaise said bluntly. "So, stop insulting our intelligence. Anyone with eyes can see Granger isn't interested in Greg, but you don't get to rub it in his face, you shit."

"Wow, thanks for the support, Blaise," Greg mumbled. "That felt so much better than when Draco said it!"

Blaise shrugged, but said, "Sorry, but maybe now you can get a damn grip. She's still the same slag she's always been. Just because she is on the winning side doesn't mean…"

He stopped talking as he noticed the twin glares he received from the other two men.

"Don't call her that!" Greg snapped. "Whether I get her, Draco does, or no one does, you will not insult anymore. She's my friend if nothing else."

Blaise raised a brow and then turned to Draco, "And, what do you have to say about me calling a mudbl…"

He choked as his voice was cut off in his throat. He hadn't even seen Draco's lips move or his wand come up, but he felt an invisible hand tightening around his throat.

"Let it go, Blaise," Draco said softly. "And, I will, too."

Blaise nodded stiffly and then gasped as he drew in air. Draco looked at him without sympathy, "Why can't you just…"

"Does all the talk at this table imply you are all done with all three potions?" Snape said softly from behind them.

All three jumped and quickly mumbled, "No, sir. Sorry, sir." At his pointed stare they hurriedly set to work.

It wasn't until he was across the room that Blaise spat, "Because I will not give up who I am to pacify the masses."

Greg sighed as he stirred his first potion and added a few flakes to it, "No one is asking you to give up who you are, Blaise. We just want you to accept us for who we are now. It's a two-way street."

"Yeah," Draco nodded and started to combine the ingredients of his second potion. "We've all been through a lot; no one really knows what they're thinking anymore. Hell, look at Potter and Weaslette. Even they seem a bit broken. I don't know what I believe and what I don't, not really, Blaise. I just know I can't act as I did in the past. I'm tired, you know?"

Greg nodded, but it was Blaise who answered, "Yeah, I do. I get what you're saying, I guess. But, the difference is I do know what I believe. I know who I am. It's just everyone else has made that a bad thing or something."

None of them spoke for a while as they continued to work, each lost in their own thoughts. Then just as Draco was adding the last ingredient to his third potion he heard Greg's sigh and looked up to see the man staring across the room. He knew what Greg was looking at, but couldn't stop his eyes from following Greg's line of vision.

Hermione.

She was in profile and looked to be in her element. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and she had a light sheen of sweat on her face. Her eyes were scrunched as she examined her last potion, and her tongue poked out from between her teeth as she concentrated on her stirs. When she absently reached behind her back to scratch an itch, her shirt pulled tightly across her chest and through the small gap in the buttons Draco could glimpsed what appeared to be a pink bra.

"Time!" Snape called out and Draco jumped as if Hermione had caught him staring at her. "Label your potion bottles and bring me a sample of each of them."

When the last of the students had placed their samples on his desk Snape came around to the front of it. His imposing figure effectively silenced the room without a word.

"As I am sure you've been told repeatedly, this is your N.E.W.T.S. year. I will not bore you or myself by repeating all the mundane things I am sure my fellow professors have said. If you haven't understood their importance by now, then you are even more dimwitted than even I give you credit for. Now, the simple potions you have made today were a test."

He stepped to the side and indicated the potions, which varied widely in color and consistency. "The potions, as you can see, are not all the same, but there are some that are close to others. I gave you potions you learned in first or second year, to see at what level you are now. By your own hands you have chosen the one that will be your partner for the remainder of the year, based on your comparable skills."

With a swipe of his hand the bottles moved around the desktop. The students watched as the bottles whizzed around, pausing now and then as if checking each other out. Finally, all the bottles lined up neatly in pairs and came to a rest.

Professor Snape didn't spare them a glance as he barked, "Everyone up! And, take your things with you. Move to the back wall."

Everyone quickly gathered their belongings and moved quickly to the rear of the room. They watched as the tables magically broke in two and moved to stand in a new formation around the room; creating double the number and allowing for only two per table with one cauldron to share. Last, the chairs then slid around to either side of each table. In awe they realized their professor had performed a great deal of magic without saying a word, or even waving his hand or wand. Those who could do wandless magic raised brows in admiration of his skill; those who couldn't, stood with their mouths hanging open in shock.

"Now, starting from the back table over there, you will move quickly and quietly when your name is called to your new positions. The better students will be in the back, those of you who need more supervision," here he stopped and sneered in Harry and Ron's direction before continuing, "will be closer to the front where I can watch out for your errors and try to keep you from blowing up your classmates."

Everyone held their breath as he looked back at the potions bottles. Bending to see the names, he called them out rapidly, expecting to be obeyed.

"Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, table 1. Ms. Weasley and Mr. Zabini, table 2. Mr. Goyle and Mr. Thomas, table 3."

Draco watched out of the corner of his eye as Hermione moved to their table. He saw that she wouldn't look at him, but instead kept her eyes on Harry and Ron to see where they would end up. She seemed relieved when Harry's name was called with Padma Patil and they were only one row up from Draco and Hermione's table. Draco saw Snape's lip curl in disappointment when he also placed Ron only two tables down from Harry and Padma. Everyone could see that he had hoped at least one of the two men would end up in either of the front two rows.

When the last of the students were seated, he assigned their homework and told them to clean up the cauldrons before the end of class. When he sneered "without magic" they knew he was really rather ticked and jumped to get started.

Draco turned to see Hermione nibbling on her lower lip as she stared at their cauldron. He cleared his throat as he stood, "I'll get the water. You get the rags."

She lifted her head to look at him, but before she could answer, he moved away. He breathed a sigh of relief as he went to the opposite end of the room from her and filled one bucket with soapy water and another with clear. He didn't know what was happening to him, but he knew he would go slowly crazy with her as his partner all year. Between her perfume, and the urges he had to bury his nose in her hair before snogging her senseless, he knew he would crack quickly. Then, when he couldn't control himself any longer and acted on one of those crazy urges he would be hexed to within an inch of his life. He was so lost in his depressing thoughts that he didn't notice her staring at him from across the room.

xxxxxx

Hermione's stare wasn't lost on several others though. Greg sighed heavily as he saw it. Ron huffed and sloshed water all over himself when he did. And, Ginny tilted her head before looking between the two a couple of times.

No one said a word until they were dismissed from class. But, the sound of voices could once again be heard as soon as people got out of the room. Draco had been one of the first out, with Greg and Blaise close behind. Hermione packed her things more slowly and left to wait for her friends in the hall. She looked up the stairs in time to catch the sun shining off of Draco's hair as he turned at the top step and disappeared.

She didn't even realize she sighed until Ginny whispered in her ear, "Looked good carrying those water buckets, didn't he? All those quidditch muscles moving and shifting."

Hermione nodded before she thought about it, and then turned red as she faced her friend, "Ginny!"

"What?" Ginny asked innocently. Harry and Ron joined them just as she said pointedly, "Just because I love Harry, doesn't mean I can't look and appreciate, Hermione. Quidditch does a body good!"

Hermione smiled a little, but didn't get a chance to answer because Harry stepped forward and stood close to Ginny. "You still love me?"

Ginny glanced up at him and put her hand on his arm, "Of course, Harry. I told you that last night."

"I know," he mumbled, "but all day you've…"

"As much as I enjoy the angst of teenagers, with your love of publicity, Potter, I am sure I will be able to read all about this in tomorrow's _Prophet_. Now, I would like go enjoy my lunch and have it stay down," Snape spit out. "So, please remove yourselves from my vicinity."

Hermione was the first to turn and head up the stairs. When she reached the top she turned to look back and noticed that Harry and Ginny were once again holding hands. Behind them Ron smiled at her happily and behind him Professor Snape scowled up at the group. Hermione turned back with a smile lighting her face. For at least that moment, all seemed right in the world once again.

The feeling lasted until she neared the doors of the Great Hall and saw Pansy waiting beside them. Her eyes met Hermione's and the look of sorrow and fear on Pansy's face made Hermione stiffen. She wasn't up to fighting with anyone. And, she honestly couldn't say she was upset with Pansy, so much as herself for allowing the thoughts and feelings she'd been having to affect her so much. With a sigh, she waved her friends into the hall and went to stand near the steps. When Pansy didn't move she waved her hand.

"Weren't you waiting to talk to me?" Hermione asked.

Pansy nodded and walked slowly toward her, "Please don't hate me."

"Oh, Pansy, I don't hate you," Hermione chided. "And, I'm not even really all that angry with you anymore."

"You're not?" Pansy asked in surprise. "Why not?"

Hermione laughed and sat down on a step, "Do you want me to be?"

"What? No!" Pansy giggled a little as she joined Hermione on the step. "But, I am confused. What happened in the last two hours?"

Hermione shook her head, "Two hours, two days, two months, I don't know."

When Pansy just looked at her in confusion Hermione sighed, "You see, the thing is, I think I'm interested in him, too, heaven knows why. But, I don't know if it's real, or if I'm just confusing sympathy with other things. He seems so different, more approachable, and…I don't know what to do."

Pansy looked shocked for a moment before her face lit up in a huge smile. "But, that's great, Hermione! He likes you, too, so you can just…"

When Pansy trailed off at a loss as to what Hermione should do, Hermione laughed a little, "Exactly." Then she sobered and looked out of the windows, "We've been…at odds since the day we met. And, he was so hateful to me. Then, so much happened during the war, to me and to him; to me in front of him, at least in part because of him. As much as my hormones seem to be in charge right now, I can't just forget all of that."

Pansy said softly, "But, can you forgive it?"

Hermione looked at Pansy for a moment before she answered, "I already have, I guess. I know the choices he made in the end. I know what he loss. I know he's changed. Vati told me this morning that I should keep in mind that we've all grown up, even him."

"You told Parvati you liked Draco?" Pansy asked in shock.

Hermione shook her head, "No, not in so many words. But she's pretty smart when it comes to relationships and stuff. Smarter than I am, that's for sure. She knew what was going on with me before I did."

"Well, what do you want to do about it? What do you want to happen?"

When Hermione just shrugged, Pansy leaned closer and said, "Look, I am really sorry for how I handled things this morning. But, I meant everything I said. Now that I know you, at least a little, I do believe you two would be great together. When he's not being defensive, he's actually a very nice and loyal person. And, you're both so smart, I know you'd have loads to talk about. Maybe you could partner up with him in Muggle Studies or something?"

"Well, as one of the few muggleborns in the school, I am excused from that class," Hermione laughed. Then she nervously added, "But, we did get paired in Potions."

Pansy stood and smiled at her, "Well, seems to me you will have plenty of homework time together then. And, hey, you could still offer to help with his Muggle Studies homework."

Hermione stood as she laughed, "Yeah, right. Draco Malfoy coming to me for help with his homework. That'll be the day!"

Hermione felt a little better about her sudden crush after having said it out loud. She had no clue what to do about it, but the fact that she wasn't denying it any longer seemed to lift a weight off of her.

"Thank you."

Pansy looked at her as they approached the doors of the Great Hall, "For what?"

"For forcing me to face it. For letting me talk it out."

Pansy grinned and blushed. Then she said half in question, half in conviction, "That's what friends are for, right?"

Hermione heard the question behind the question and smiled at Pansy, "Exactly."

The look of elation and relief on Pansy's face made Hermione almost feel bad for the dark-haired woman. Hermione might not have had a lot of friends during her time at Hogwarts, but at least she had them and knew where she stood with them. It saddened her that Pansy had never known the same. She reached out and gave Pansy a quick hug and asked her to say hi to Ginny and Harry for her, before heading toward her own table.

xxxxx

Blaise watched Hermione and Pansy part at the door, and stared at her bouncy mass of curls as she strode toward their table. She appeared to be lost in thought with a small smile playing around her lips until she saw him staring at her and her steps faltered before she slowed to a stop.

It aggravated him that she straightened into a defiant stance before continuing on her way. And, it didn't make things any better when he saw the other students shift and lower their heads when she reached the table. Their darting glances between the two made him angry and he snapped.

"Just eat your damn lunch and stop worrying about the two of us!"

A sixth year Ravenclaw student lifted her face and arched a brow at him, "Maybe that would be easier if you two weren't always sniping at each other! The war's finally over, why can't you two let it go?! I've lost my appetite!"

The rest of the table watched in silence as she pushed her plate back, stood and left the hall. When he looked back at the rest of the table, the other students sat with their food untouched, but with their bodies bent over their plates. Blaise threw his fork on the table and sat back, but when a first year on his right jumped and squealed in fear he saw the tears on her face and he realized how much he really scared them.

He was angry and confused by all the changes around him, but it hadn't been his intention to scare small children. With a heavy sigh, Blaise turned to the small girl.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her alone. "I didn't mean to scare you."

He saw a couple of others flinch when he reached out to put his hand on hers and knew how much damage he'd done. He looked over at Hermione and saw she still hadn't sat down in her shock.

"Granger," he bit out as pleasantly as he could, "why don't you sit down. You're attracting attention."

He almost laughed at the way her eyes widened, but she nodded and sat, as she stared at him.

He took a breath and looked around the rest of the table. Only Granger looked him in the eye. The rest of them still sat still as statues, much like prisoners awaiting their fates. It made him feel very uncomfortable to know he had put that fear there. But, he reasoned, it wasn't entirely his fault. Hermione had played a huge part in all of it.

She was…herself! As he continued to stare at her, and she at him, he listed in his head the many faults he thought she had. She was a Gryffindor. She and her friends, well people like them, were the reason for all his losses. She was too nice; she didn't even have the decency to be smug about her side winning. And, she was the object of both Greg and Draco's obsessions, which he felt was somehow her fault, too. When he thought about it, it sounded trivial, even to his own mind and he sighed heavily.

He had spent the last few hours with people who seemed to embrace all that he rejected, even his own friends. He didn't like the fact that they made him think about things he'd rather not, rather than simply agreeing with him. Then, when he'd assumed things couldn't get worse, he'd been paired with his fellow head in Potions. He'd spent the rest of the class hearing her mutter under breath about immature gits, and life being unfair.

He was at a loss. Why was everything on him? Why was he the bad guy? Even Snape had told him to grow up. Looking at the table of youngsters he thought maybe, in certain ways, it was time he started to do so.

With a nod of decision he said to the table at large, "Look, I'm sorry you've all felt the tension between Granger and me. But, we're, uh, working on getting past our issues. So, you lot can relax and eat. We won't be fighting at the table anymore, okay?"

No one moved or spoke for a minute, as they stared from one to the other. They noted that Hermione looked as confused as they felt. Then a first year Slytherin looked haughtily at Blaise and sneered.

"Are you going to stop calling her the M word?" he asked bravely. "'Cause I am one, too, and I don't really appreciate it from the Head Boy and a member of my own house."

Blaise was shocked into a silence; a mudbl…muggleborn Slytherin?! What was the world coming to?

"Well?" the child prompted.

Before he could answer, a fourth year Gryffindor turned to Hermione, "And, are you going to stop goading him? You know he's touchy, but you always seem to take a perverse pleasure in pissing him off!"

Hermione's jaw dropped at the reprimand.

But, she didn't get to answer because another voice chimed in, "Yeah, and you should both know better and be more mature than to squabble like children all the time. You act younger than me!"

"Not a very good example to set for young people, I must say."

"I thought seventh years were supposed to act like adults and stuff!"

"My mother told me that being a Head was a good thing. It meant people looked up to you and could trust you. She said I should want to be one some day. I don't think so, now."

"I just can't take all this fighting every time I eat; it's making my stomach cramp. So, you two will have to learn to get along, just like everyone else."

"Or, better yet, just don't talk to one another, how's that?!"

"Yeah, exactly! Why should we all suffer for the next month because you two are too stubborn to at least try and act your ages?!"

That statement was followed by an extremely loud silence. Only then did they all realize that others had stopped eating to watch their table. Hermione's face flushed and she lowered her head in shame. Blaise raised his chin defiantly instead.

Hermione's voice whispered across the table, "I apologize to all of you. You are right. We were acting very childishly. It won't continue on my part."

All eyes swung to him and Blaise nodded, "Same here."

His answer, though brief and still borderline rude, seemed enough and sounds resumed around them. The rest of their table began to talk softly amongst themselves and their forks started clinking against their plates. The fact that neither he nor Hermione said another word didn't seem to worry them, as long as they weren't fighting. The other tables started eating again, and he knew most of the conversations centered around the events that had occurred at their table. He knew Hermione felt the looks and heard the whispers, too, but he almost admired the way she refused to leave in shame.

He watched as she seemed to come to a decision, straighten in her chair, and reach into her bag. He knew before he saw it that she would remove a book and read; blocking them all out. She seemed to do that a lot. He also noted that her hands shook a little and she never touched her sandwich.

xxxxx

"Well, that was certainly entertaining," Theo grinned. "Both of them getting reprimanded by first and second years. I never would have believed it."

Harry chuckled softly beside him and then sobered, "Yeah. But, I hope she at least eats something. She tends to get in her head about stuff like this. And, then she starts blaming herself for everything. She'll starve herself. Hermione tends to take on more than she should as her fault, then she gets overzealous in her need to fix everything."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Theo mumbled.

But, Harry heard him, "Who?"

Theo wondered how much he should say, but figured their new relationship couldn't be hurt too badly by the truth. He turned to look at Harry and said evenly, "You."

Harry looked at Theo for a moment before he asked, "Me? How do you mean?"

"Well, Harry, take this Ginny thing for example…"

"Stay out of it, Nott! You don't know anything about it."

Theo nodded, but continued anyway, "You are right, I don't know you, her, or your relationship all that well, but I do know people, Harry."

"And, what is you think you know?" Harry asked acidly.

Theo took a steadying breath as he looked away from Harry and spoke softly, "I know you two love one another; are…right for one another. From what I have heard, I know she needs time to figure out who she is outside of being your girlfriend and the Weas…ahem, Ron's sister. I know she must have a lot on her mind what with being Head Girl, plus N.E.W.T.S and all. And, I know anyone would need time and space to get it all straight. I also know that you need to give her both, or risk losing her. Last, I know you have a need to fix things, even more so than you say Hermione does. But, Harry, you have to try to NOT fix this. You have to let her be. Be there for her when she needs you to be, but give her the time and space she needs, also. Maybe if you don't try so hard to fix everything, it will all fall into place as it should, and you two will be stronger than ever. Besides, I think you need time and space to figure out who you are, as well, now that the war is over and all."

He risked a glance up at Harry to see how his words were being taken, and found the green-eyed wizard staring at him intently. When the stare became too much Theo lowered his eyes and cleared his throat nervously.

"Did I overstep my boundaries? If so, I, um, apologize."

Harry seemed to come out of his stupor as he slowly shook his head from side to side in a bit of awe at the other man's insight. "No. You're, I guess, right. I do tend to try and fix things all the time. And, I was trying to figure out how to…well, it doesn't matter. I need to step back like you said. And, I will. But, since you seem to know everything, maybe you can tell me what to do in the meantime. What do I concentrate on to keep from focusing on Gin?"

Theo glanced around the room and saw a certain person watching another certain person, and thought he'd test the waters for his friend.

"Well, maybe, Harry, you can help me."

"With what?" Harry asked.

Theo looked at him solemnly with his fingers crossed under the table, "Well, I happen to know of a couple who may want to get to know each other better. But, they don't know how to go about it. And, fear of their friends' reactions is going to stifle their actions."

Harry, thinking Theo was referring to himself and Parvati, smiled at him, "Well, I think people should mind their own business! You can't control who you fall for, and you surely shouldn't be blamed for it!"

Theo nodded, "That's good, that's good. Maybe I'll try that line on Draco tonight to encourage him."

Harry's gasp drew several looks, but he ignored them as he leaned closer to Theo in shock. The thought that Draco Malfoy was interested in a girl, but afraid to pursue her was foreign to him. And, that some girl was stupid enough to fall for him after all he'd done, all he'd been, shocked Harry to his core. "Malfoy likes someone? And she's interested in him? Who?"

Theo didn't answer, but instead looked across the room at Draco. Harry followed Theo's eyes to Draco and saw him staring pensively across the room. Harry followed Draco's line of vision and his own widened in a mix of horror and realization.

Hermione and Pansy's earlier fight played in his head and he clearly remembered Hermione saying _Even if I am the teensiest bit interested_. "No! She…he…they can't…" he muttered to himself.

Theo raised an eyebrow at him and repeated his own words back at him, "You can't control who you fall for, and you surely shouldn't be blamed for it."

Harry looked sharply at Theo and reminded himself, that nice or not, there was a reason the man was a Slytherin. But then he glanced back at Draco and then Hermione. With a heavy, put upon sigh, Harry leaned back heavily in his chair, "Well, shit."

Theo's soft chuckle grated his nerves, but he didn't say anything as his mind whirled and he continued to look back and forth between his best friend and the man he disliked more than any other.

xxxxxx


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Pansy sighed, "I never said I didn't like him, Ginny. I just said that I didn't think he and I were right for each other. It's not like he's no good with anyone."

"But, Hermione?!" Ginny shook her head. "What were you thinking trying to set them up? I can't believe she didn't jinx you to bits!"

Pansy shook her head, "Well, I thought she would, too, but um, she, well, when we talked, uh…"

Ginny just looked at her, "Spit it out, Pansy."

"Well, she said she might be interested in him, too," Pansy confessed. The look on Ginny's face made her rush to add, "But, I don't know if I'm supposed to say anything to anyone, so you can't tell her I told you, okay? I don't want her even more upset with me. Let her tell you in her own time please."

Ginny nodded mutely, but looked across the room to Hermione's bent head. The very idea that her intelligent friend would even think of falling for the one person who had hurt so many people with his actions and words, and Hermione specifically, so often, boggled her mind.

"There can't be that much change in the world," she muttered to herself. "Is she crazy?"

Pansy laughed a little, "Well, I think we're all feeling a little crazy right now, don't you? Look at me? In only two days I have completely given up on my parents' dreams for me, set my sights on a man who doesn't know I exist, who barely even notices me, actually, and made friends with the two most unlikely witches in the whole school. And, you…you've broken up with Harry and…"

"What? No, I didn't!" Ginny interrupted. "I didn't!"

Pansy nodded, "Okay, okay. It's just, well, everyone's talking about some fight you two had, and then all day you've been really distant from one another and all, so I just guessed that you…"

"Well, it's not true! We did not break up," Ginny hissed. "And, people should mind their own business! We had a fight, that's all."

Pansy tried to calm her down, "Hey, I get it. I'm sorry. It's okay. Relax, Ginny. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm so sorry."

Ginny took a deep breath and then another as she gripped the edge of the table. Then she looked at Pansy, "I'm okay. And, stop apologizing. It's annoying!"

When Pansy put her hands in her lap and looked down, Ginny felt bad for snapping at her, "Look, I'm just more than a little stressed, you know. It's been a crazy few days. Hell, a crazy year. And, I have all this Head Girl stuff I have to do and I have to do it with Blaise the Butthead! And, you know what? It's not all me! It's a fair bit of pressure being his girlfriend sometimes. He's always hovering. I can barely excuse myself to go the loo without him watching me and asking if I'm okay. I just need some space is all. That's all. I wasn't breaking up with him. I just want him to stop being so damn protective all the time. I can take care of myself; I did for almost a year! Why can't he see that?"

Pansy lifted her eyes to Ginny's and said softly, "Because he loves you," as if that was the answer to all of life's ills.

Ginny shook her head, "Love doesn't solve everything, Pansy."

"I know," Pansy said defensively but with a shrug, "but, at least you have someone you know cares about you more than anything. Even with all his savior issues, isn't that worth something?"

"Yeah," Ginny agreed with a glance over at Harry and Theo's bent heads. She wondered what they were whispering to each other, but turned back to Pansy, "Yeah, it is. I guess I have to just figure out how to be me with him. I've never really done that, you know?"

"No, I don't," Pansy shook her head. "What do you mean?"

Ginny sat back a little and sighed, "I've loved that man, in one way or another, since I was ten years old. I grew up doing everything in my power to make him see me, I made myself into a person he would want, would be proud to have at his side. But, along the way I kind of forgot to figure out who I really was, I guess. It's always been about Harry. How to get him, how to keep him, how to get him back after he left last year; it's never really been about me. Now, with nothing to keep us apart, and nothing for him to think about, but me, I guess I worry that once I do figure out who I am, he won't like the person I've become."

Pansy sat quietly for a moment before she nodded, "So you've stamped down all that's really you and have been trying to be the person you think he wants you to be. No wonder it's finally making you crazy."

Ginny smiled at Pansy's intuition, "Yeah, something like that."

xxxxxx

Ron never claimed to be the sharpest quill in the set, but he had relatively good intuition. Once he put together all that had happened over the past couple of days, he came to the conclusion that Hermione might actually be interested in the pasty-faced git across from him. She had been distracted and argumentative, gnawing on her lip like she was starving, and she couldn't seem to keep still. He'd suspected that her snapping at him had meant that she had a lot on her mind and now he knew what it was.

Draco Malfoy.

Ron scowled at the thought and watched Draco steal another glance over at Hermione's table. Part of him wanted to jump across the table and make the man eat his own eyeballs. But, the mature part of him held back for one reason only. If Hermione was actually interested in the ass, was it his place to stand in her way? He knew Draco wasn't a physical threat to anyone any more, but he was pretty sure no one really knew how vulnerable and insecure Hermione could be.

He thought back on how long it had taken him to get her, and wondered how much had been his hesitance and how much had been her reluctance to put herself out there to be hurt. And, whether or not Malfoy meant to do it or not, planned to do it or not, if Hermione liked him, he had the power to hurt her. And, that was something Ron wouldn't let happen. Even if they were no longer together, he loved her and wanted her happy. If she wanted Malfoy for real, then he would stay out of it, but he would keep an eye on things just in case. If she wasn't interested, then he would happily take pleasure in rubbing it in the man's face for the rest of the year.

Ron wondered what Harry would say when he found out and looked across the room to see Harry and Theo in deep discussion. As Ron watched he saw Harry look at Draco and then over at Hermione and knew it wouldn't be long before he would find out. Harry looked incredulous, murderous, and then shocked in quick succession before he fell back in his chair and said an, "Oh shit," that Ron could read quite clearly from his seat.

Ron laughed to himself as he nodded in agreement and went back to staring at Draco. He didn't expect those icy eyes to be looking back at him.

Neither had spoken to the other since Draco's confession the night before. Now, as students started drifting away from the table on their way to classes, Ron felt he should make himself clear.

"I'm willing to acknowledge that things, circumstances, and even people change, Malfoy, but, listen up. I don't personally care what you think you feel or how different you think you now are. I don't feel sorry for you or your family. You all got what you deserved, nothing more, nothing less. It's not even personal, as I simply don't care enough about you to even hate you anymore. I don't even pity you. You're a non-entity, really. But, she is someone I do care for deeply. And, while who she chooses to be with is her choice, one that I will learn to live with no matter who it is, I give you this one warning. If you hurt her, if you try to hurt her, if you even think of hurting her, I will crush you. There will be nowhere for you to run, nowhere to hide. I will spend the rest of my days finding ways to make her pain yours ten-fold. Do we understand each other?"

Draco stared back at the red-haired man across from him in silence for a long moment. He had been shocked at first to hear Ron addressing him directly, but then was floored by what was said. He had never considered "The Weasel" to be much of a threat, as his hot headed actions and inability to keep his mouth shut normally got him in more trouble than Draco could have ever dreamt up for him. But, sitting across from the deadly serious man, he was forced to reevaluate Ron Weasley. Gone was the rash young boy he had always known; in his place sat a man with complete confidence in himself and his beliefs. For the first time ever, Draco took a threat from the other man seriously.

But, he was still Draco Malfoy and he was not about to let Ron know he had gotten to him. He plastered a bland look on his face and answered in a soft, low voice, "Piss off, Weasel! You don't scare me."

Ron stood as Draco did and as he rounded the table Ron grabbed his arm and pulled him close. His voice was a bare whisper as he spat confidently, "Your eyes said differently, Ferret! And, though you may not believe it, I am more than capable of backing up my words. So, watch yourself."

Draco refused to let Ron see how much his words affected him and pulled his arm roughly away, "Don't touch me! And, stay out of my business!"

Before Ron could retort Draco swept passed him and out of the doors. Ron huffed and clenched his hands into fists. He almost swung around and punched the person who dared touch his shoulder before he realized who it was.

"Oh, sorry, Harry."

"S'okay," Harry answered. "Figured it out, too, huh?"

Ron didn't need to ask what and just nodded as he angrily gathered his belongings and the two headed to class.

Each stayed lost in his own thoughts on the turn of events and didn't speak as Harry walked with Ron to his Muggle Studies class. When they reached the door, the new professor, Peyton Mills, was already ushering people into the room. Ron cast an evil glance at the back of Malfoy's head and then turned to Harry.

"Meet you back in the common room after?"

Harry nodded and smiled a bit, "Yeah, and try not to hex him in front of witnesses, okay?"

"No problem," Ron laughed with him. "There's no magic allowed in this class, remember?"

Harry smiled at the thought of the entire class of witches and wizards learning to do things without magic and laughed, "I can't wait to hear all about this class. You have to remember to take extra notes on the Slytherins reactions, okay?"

"Will do," Ron nodded. "I better get going. See you after." After one last wave at Harry, Ron entered the room.

He noticed that everyone was still standing and looked to the new professor to find out what was going on.

She smiled at the room as she began to walk around the classroom, "Hello, everyone. My name is Professor Peyton Mills. I am a fully qualified and trained witch, although I grew up in Australia and did my schooling there. I sat and passed my O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. We don't have magical schools like Hogwarts there. Our magic is homeschooled, but our book learning is done in regular schools along with everyone else. As such, school and magic were separated and played no part in who we befriended or the schooling we received. Unlike here in England, there wasn't a lot of emphasis on people's blood status, although I assure you, we found plenty of other reasons to not like one another, as children are wont to do. I say all this to explain how I am qualified to teach this class."

She paused momentarily to wave her wand at the blackboard and they saw a seating chart appear on it.

Then she looked back at them and continued, "Now, as is done in most classes back home, you will sit in your assigned seats unless you are told to do differently. They are alphabetically assigned, so there is no favoritism or house judgment. Now, if you will all take your seats?"

When everyone was seated she asked, "Before we begin our introductions, are there any questions?"

Parvati raised her hand and was granted permission to speak, "I thought we couldn't use magic in here?"

"You can't, but I can," Professor Mills laughed not unkindly. "Your wands were deactivated, so to speak, the moment you crossed the threshold of the room. But, I promise you I will not use it often, as I want you to really experience a regular classroom."

Greg timidly raised his hand and when she called on him he turned a bit red in embarrassment. "Um, Professor? Why do you keep saying regular school? Are you saying we're not normal?"

The smile on her face softened as she shook her head, "Oh no! Absolutely not. I didn't mean to offend any of you. It's habit more than anything, I guess. I mean, think about it, ninety-five percent of the world goes to school and does the same things as we are going to do. But, here, and at Beauxbaton and a few other places, you all never get to see any of that. To you this is normal, but to me, what I know is normal. Does that make sense?"

Several students nodded, but the others continued to stare at her blankly, so she tried a different tactic.

"Okay, how about this? How many of you were homeschooled before coming here?" When every hand raised she nodded and continued, "And, how many of you knew non-magical people before you came to school?" Most hands dropped, and she asked, "And, how many of you ever wondered why it was that you weren't made privy to the happenings and actions of over ninety percent of the population of this planet?"

No one raised their hands, but several people shifted nervously. She didn't want to scare them, but she wanted to make them understand. She moved to her desk and leaned back on it.

"In this class, you will learn about all those things you've missed. You will get to decide what you like about the whole world around you, not just the magical one. You will be able to feel comfortable going anywhere in the world and knowing you understand those around you. You may not have shared those experiences before, but my hope is that when you are done this year, you will be able to go out there into the world and choose to be whoever you want to be, whether it be magical or non. I hope to open up a whole new world for you; one with endless opportunities, brand new options, and new chances. You never know. One of you may be an upcoming Minister of Magic or English Prime Minister. You could be a star quidditch player or a star footy player. You could date, fall in love with and marry anyone, magical or muggle. You will no longer be limited to the people, places and events you know now. My hope is that by the end of the year, you will be free to decide who you are, to make your own choices."

All of the students stared up at her in awe. She had made it sound plausible, possible, even attainable. She had made them want it. Peyton Mills hid her tiny grin of triumph and tucked her head to take attendance.

xxxxxx

Nearly two hours later Hermione stood outside of the door and grinned to herself as she heard the teacher's homework assignment. Each student was to figure out how to send off for a subscription to one muggle newspaper and one muggle magazine. They were to present their completed applications at the next class along with an explanation of what their next steps should be. Their subscriptions were to start arriving by the next week. She knew the easiest way to do it, as it had been the way she and her parents had sent mail during her earlier years at Hogwarts, but Hermione laughed out loud at the thought of Ron and Ginny trying to figure out the muggle post at Hogsmeade.

Her laugh was interrupted by the classroom door opening and the students pouring out of the room. Hermione was happy to note that most looked excited about the class. She heard exclamations about how great their new professor was and how much fun the class would be, and part of her wondered if she could get permission to at least audit the class. But, before a plan to do so could completely form in her head, she found herself staring up at Draco Malfoy. She hadn't even noticed him come out of the room, and most certainly hadn't seen him come to stand in front of her.

She felt her heart lurch and her stomach flutter as her eyes travelled up his long, lean body, taking note despite herself of how good he looked. When she finally reached his face she had to curl her hand into a fist at her side to stop herself from reaching up to brush his hair out of his eyes. Eyes that held her mesmerized for a long quiet moment. In them she read interest that made her want to blush, question that made her want to answer yes to whatever he asked, and something else she couldn't quite decipher, but its heat made her flush a bit.

"Malfoy?" she asked when he just stood there staring at her, with his head tilted slightly in confusion.

"Is it your shampoo or perfume?" he finally asked his voice soft in inquiry.

She blinked up at him for a second before she found her tongue, "I'm sorry. What?"

"That scent, strawberries, vanilla and something else, what is it?" he asked as his eyes moved around her face and hair.

"H…herbs," she finally stuttered. "And, I guess it's my shampoo. Why?"

He looked down into her eyes when he heard her voice turn defensive on the last question. He allowed a small smile and said softly, "Because it's stuck in my head, Granger. And, since I can't seem to get rid of it, I thought I should at least know what it is."

"Oh," she murmured. Then she looked very confused as she stared up at him, "Why is it stuck in your head?"

He shrugged and his cheeks reddened just a little as he said with a grin, "I guess because you are."

Before she could answer he turned and walked away from her. She followed him with her eyes until he was gone from the hall, chiding herself the entire time for wishing he wasn't wearing robes that covered his backside. Then she reminded herself to breathe and turned back to see Ron, Ginny, Theo, Parvati, Greg and Millicent all staring at her. She blushed a brilliant shade of red as she realized what they must have looked like with Draco leaning into her and her against the wall looking up at him.

"Well, maybe I won't have to say something to him after all," Theo mumbled. Then he turned to Parvati, "Shall we go get to work on our assignment?"

She nodded at him and took his offered hand. As they walked by Hermione, Parvati leaned in and whispered, "Tonight, we have your first hair and makeup lesson!"

She didn't get to answer before they swept passed her and down the hall. Greg mumbled something about needing to get a nap and took off rather quickly, refusing to meet Hermione's eyes as he went by her. Millicent hurried after him and Hermione saw her cuff him on the arm as they walked away. She felt badly about possibly hurting Greg's feelings, but when she turned back to Pansy, Ron and Ginny, she forgot all about it.

"Uh, hi guys," she ventured nervously. Pansy smiled knowingly at her, Ginny looked to be in a bit of shock, and Ron looked both ticked and resigned.

"Hi yourself," Pansy chirped.

"What exactly was that?" Ginny asked without preamble.

Ron jutted out his chin as he asked, "Was he threatening you?"

"No," she answered Ron's question with a shake of her head. "He was just…he…he asked about my shampoo," she finished lamely.

"What?" Pansy asked as Ginny said, "Huh?!" Ron's "What for?" was louder than both of the women's voices.

Hermione shook her head and looked once again down the empty hall, "I don't know. But, that's what he asked me about."

She looked back at their confused faces and laughed as they mirrored her own feelings. She shrugged and didn't know what else to say. She hadn't revealed her feelings to Ginny or Ron yet, and she wasn't quite sure how to say whatever it was she was going to say to explain it. Especially when she didn't really know what was going on herself.

xxxxxx

Professor Mills poked her head out of the door and called, "Hermione Granger?" and saved her from having to handle anything just yet.

"Yes, I'm here," she called out to her assigned Mental Health professor. Then she turned back to her friends, "I'll see you guys back in the all-house common room in a while, okay?"

They nodded and smiled at her with varying degrees of warmth and she hurried into the solace of the classroom. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when the door clicked softly shut and the professor turned around to look at her.

She gasped in shock and embarrassment when Professor Mills laughingly mumbled, "Well, someone's had a busy two days."

Then she bristled as she realized her teacher was making a reference to her private life. Before she could stop herself she snapped, "Am I being spied on or something?"

Professor Mills shook her head and held her hands up defensively, "No, no. I'm sorry. I do that sometimes. I apologize. I usually control my tongue better than that."

"So, what exactly did you mean?" Hermione asked, her eyes darting around the room as if looking for a clue as to the woman's behavior.

"Okay, let's start over. My name is Peyton Mills, you can call me Peyton, if you'd like. And, I, as you know, am the new Muggle Studies professor. But, I also suffer uncontrollable, very strong, legilimens skills and I often pick up the thoughts of others without meaning to do so. Normally, all the sounds blend in my head, kind of like background noise. Most often, although it takes a fair bit of concentration, I can block it all out, but your and Mr. Malfoy's thoughts were fairly shouting in my head. Again, I apologize. I wasn't intentionally eavesdropping, I assure you. And, I didn't mean to say that out loud."

Hermione was quiet for a moment as she absorbed what the relatively young woman said. Then she forced herself to think quite clearly, _Yeah, right. I bet you're as big a fraud as Trelawney!_

"I am not!" Peyton answered with a gasp. "That woman is a disgrace to…well that is neither here, nor there. Suffice it to say, I…"

She broke off as she noticed Hermione staring at her with huge eyes and her mouth hanging open. "You're a mind reader!"

Peyton flushed at the sound of accusation in Hermione's voice, but nodded, "Yes. I suppose that's the best word for it. Although, as I said, I don't do it on purpose."

"But, that's…that's intrusive! And, unethical! And, dangerous! How can they let you teach when…"

"Miss Granger, my disability does not in any way hinder my teaching and was, in fact, very helpful during the war! Nor, does it endanger the lives of any of my students! I don't go around blabbing what I hear to others, and most people don't even know of it unless I slip up, as I did with you. Why can't people ever see past this one stupid thing?! All my life I've been judged because of it! I thought you, of all people, would understand what it's like to be a little different! That is why I asked to be put with you. I can see I was wrong."

Hermione was shocked at the anger directed at her, but repeated stupidly, "Disability?"

"Well, what would you call it?" Peyton snapped. Then she rounded her desk and grabbed a quill. She leaned over to grab a piece of parchment and began scribbling furiously.

Hermione was sorry she had upset the woman, but still a little shocked to know such a thing existed. "May I ask what you are writing?" she finally asked softly.

Peyton's head shot up and she pinned Hermione with a glare. Then she heaved a sad sigh before she looked back down, signed her name, folded the letter and handed it to Hermione. "I am letting you off the hook, Ms. Granger, so you don't have to suffer my disability. This is a letter to the Headmistress explaining that we are not well-suited for these meetings."

Hermione's fear of failure instantly dwarfed her sorrow at having so deeply offended the woman, "What? No, Peyton. I'm sorry. I was just shocked, that's all. I am sure we can work through this. There's no need to bring Headmistress McGonagall into this. I didn't mean to upset you. I didn't know there was such a thing as a magical disability, other than being a squib. I've never read about it before and it was a surprise. I believe you weren't spying on me, I do. Please don't do this. Please. I am so sorry."

Peyton, although still hurt, was taken aback by the pleading in Hermione's voice, as much as the sheen of tears in her eyes. "Hey, hey, calm down. I was just trying to…"

"I can't fail," Hermione wailed a she rang her hands. "Please don't give up on me yet."

Peyton stared at the distraught woman for a minute before she nodded and sat back in her chair.

Neither spoke for a moment, then Hermione breached the silence. "Can we, um, maybe, uh, start over?"

Peyton nodded and said, "If you are sure."

"I think I am," Hermione nodded. "But, may I ask a couple of things up first?" When she received the nod from the professor, Hermione cleared her throat. "Well, um, how old are you?"

As this was the last question she expected to be asked, Peyton answered, "Twenty on my last birthday. Why?"

"You just kind of remind me a lot of Tonks, er, Professor Tonks. She's rather young, too, and you got rather, um, defensive, you know? Kinda like she does when you call her Nymphadora."

"Sorry," Peyton muttered with a small grin, "I'm guess I am a little defensive about it. People start to act rather strangely toward you when they know, and it starts to…Wait a minute. This is supposed to be about you, not me. I'm supposed to be helping you get over whatever issues you have since the war. Again, I apologize, Hermione, may I call you Hermione? Okay, good. I am not dong this very well."

Hermione smiled at the other woman and shrugged her shoulders, "Actually, this has been helping?"

"How so?"

"Well, Peyton, for the past ten minutes, I haven't thought about me or my problems even once," Hermione laughed. "And, for a person like me, who can sometimes have a tendency to obsess, that's a good thing."

Both women relaxed in their laughter and were soon chatting away. Neither noticed the passing time until a tentative knock on the door announced Peyton's next class. They parted company with smiles and promises to talk to each other again soon, and not just in their sessions. Hermione admired the other woman's desire to overcome her disability and the strength it took to teach despite the attitudes of others. Peyton had already admired Hermione from all she'd read about her, and the few times they had worked near one another during the war, but she had been surprised by how well-adjusted the young heroine actually was. Their session became more of two-way advice session, than a Mental Health check, but neither seemed to mind as they parted company and Hermione went to meet her friends.

xxxxxx

Draco smiled smugly to himself when he saw Hermione enter the all-house common room, meet his eyes and then blush a red that would have made the Weasley family proud. He didn't know what had prompted him to approach her after his last class, but he hadn't been able to stop himself. And, he was glad he had. Afterward, he, Theo and surprisingly, Greg, had had a long talk about it and they had helped him remember that life was too short to not go for what you wanted. Theo had logically suggested that Draco might want to consider the fact that he was still engaged to Pansy in the mix. And, Greg had told him that he wasn't upset with Draco, so much as disappointed that Hermione hadn't seen him as an option. Theo then told Greg that there were other fish in the proverbial sea and that maybe he didn't need to look so far to find someone who might be interested. He hadn't given up a name, but Greg's spirits had lifted slightly, and Draco was once again thankful that he had been given the chance to get to know Theo better.

As he sat once again with a group of people he wouldn't have believed it possible to sit with and not have a fight break out, Draco wondered what Hermione would do when she reached them. Ron had just left for his Mental Health meeting, Pansy was in History of Magic, and Parvati was in Divination with her sister and Lavender Brown. Greg filled one chair with his books spread out around him and Millicent sat sneering beside him as she read a muggle novel of some sort. Theo worked diligently on his Arithmancy homework in another large chair, but kept glancing at the clock as he impatiently awaited Parvati's return. Harry and Ginny sat together on one sofa, and Harry was concentrating on his book, while Ginny and Blaise battled out the Prefect's patrolling schedule. That left Draco on a sofa alone and the empty chair Ron had vacated when he'd left.

When Hermione finally reached the group and everyone greeted her, Draco saw her look at the empty space beside him and the empty seat across from him next to Harry. He saw her turn to the chair, but she made the mistake of glancing at him. He held her eyes and raised his brow in a silent challenge that made her straighten and lift her chin proudly. He smiled a little at her and had the pleasure of seeing her eyes widen a bit before she daintily stepped over Greg's books and sat down next to him. Granted she sat at the very end of the sofa, but she had chosen to sit with him, and he was pleased with even that little bit of progress.

_Take that, asshole!_ he thought to the invisible guy Pansy wanted to set Hermione up with.

He didn't say anything to her, but instead took a deep breath and inhaled her scent. He couldn't explain it, and wasn't sure he wanted to analyze it too deeply just yet, but something about it made him feel calm, more settled; almost happy. He didn't even care all that much that she wouldn't look at him again as she talked to everyone else.

"You know what? I'll do it by myself then!" Blaise exploded loudly, interrupting everyone else's conversations.

Ginny crossed her arms, "I didn't say I wouldn't do it, Zabini! I simply said I couldn't until after quidditch practice!"

"And, I told you I don't care!" he shouted in her face. "Do whatever you want!"

Draco's eyes went to Potter's to see what he would do and he watched the man clench his fists, but keep his head down as if the fight wasn't happening. Surprised the "Savior of the World" wasn't jumping to his girlfriend's defense, he turned to Hermione and saw that she too was watching Harry, but she had a tiny smile on her face.

Ginny gritted her teeth and said carefully, "Look, Zabini, we are supposed to patrol together. That means both of us, not one, and then the other. Why can't you just change it to Wednesday nights after your astronomy class?"

Blaise sat back in a huff and said through his clenched teeth, "Maybe I want to study then, Weasley!"

"No, you just want to be difficult!" she hissed.

Blaise glanced around the group and caught everyone staring at them. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Fine. Wednesdays it is. But, I won't be doing Sunday nights then."

Ginny nodded and accepted her win gracefully, "I'm sure we can find a couple of prefects to shift around for then."

They went back to planning and Draco saw Harry unclench his hands and breathe out slowly. He wondered if the dark haired wizard was doing some kind of impulse control exercises or something. He looked over at Hermione and saw her smiling at Harry proudly. When she glanced his way, Draco couldn't help but stare. In all the years they had known each other, her smile had never been directed at him and he felt his stomach clench at the giddy feeling that gripped him.

Harry, it seemed, had been silent long enough, and put down his book, "So, Greg, Theo, Bulstrode, how was Muggle Studies?"

Draco rolled his eyes at the way Harry purposely left him out, but didn't look over at the dark-haired man. Millicent grunted, but Greg and Theo launched into stories of their pretty young teacher and all the things she promised to teach them. Soon their stories turned to the things they hoped to see and do in the class and they had even drawn Ginny and Millicent into the conversation.

Draco listened to Harry and Hermione correct some of their more incorrect pronunciations and then simply sat back and enjoyed the sound of Hermione's soft laugh. It amazed him that the same sound that used to drive him mad, he now longed to hear. Soon, even Blaise had entered the conversation, though he made sure his statements or questions were directed at his friends only.

"Come on, Hermione, just tell us some!" Ginny begged.

Greg added, "Yeah, at least give us a name or two to ask for, so we don't look stupid."

"You wouldn't want us guys to mistakenly pick out a woman's magazine or something, would you?" Theo asked jokingly.

Hermione laughed with them, but shook her head, "Nope. You will just have to get yourselves over to that little section over there and look up some magazine names on your own."

After a lot of teasing and good natured griping, only Harry, Hermione and Draco remained in their seats. The silence was awkward, as they all looked everywhere but at each other.

"Uh, Drac…Malf…Dra…(cough), uh, aren't you going to go look up muggle magazine names with everyone else?" Hermione finally asked softly.

Draco glanced at Harry and saw him looking at Hermione strangely, and then looked at her. There was a trace of vulnerability in her deep brown eyes that mingled with the bravery that showed in her tilted chin, and he found himself unable to speak for a second. Instead he swallowed and simply shook his head.

He finally smiled at her when she said, "But, you have to do your homework, too!"

"You sound like Pansy," he remarked with a laugh. "But no worries, I have it taken care of already."

Harry sounded completely gobsmacked when he said, "You do?!"

Draco forced himself not to sneer as he nodded at Harry, "Yes, Potter, I do." Then he turned and winked at Hermione, "I've been subscribed to _GQ_ since I was three years old."

He laughed inwardly when her mouth dropped into an O and her eyes ran quickly over his body. He thanked God that he had removed his heavy robes before he'd sat down and tried not to preen when she blushed softly, smiled and looked down and away from him.

Harry saw Hermione's blush and rolled his eyes at both of them. He thought it time to remind both of them how things really were. "So, Malfoy, Ginny tells me you and Pansy are engaged. Congratulations."

He felt a little bad for his actions when he heard Hermione's gasp and saw her move more fully away from Draco, but he continued to stare into the other man's icy eyes.

"Thank you, Potter," Draco said evenly, even though his eyes shot sparks of anger. "But, it seems, as always, you are misinformed about things of any real importance."

Harry started to retort, but was cut off by Hermione's question, "Wait, but Pansy said…"

Draco turned to her his voice softer, the anger gone, "Well, I haven't actually told her yet, either."

"Huh?" she asked.

"Well, Grang, ahem, Hermione…" he smiled at her gasp and flush at the use of her first name and then continued, "according to a letter from my mother this morning, she feels it would be unfair to the Parkinson family to saddle them with our burdens, our name, so she is breaking the contract."

Hermione looked shocked when she asked, "And, Pansy doesn't know yet?"

"Pansy doesn't know what?" Theo asked as he retook his seat.

Draco gave Hermione and Harry a quick warning look before he glanced over at Theo, "Nothing. Just talking about some homework."

Hermione looked at Draco almost tenderly when she realized he wanted to be the one to tell Pansy, and not have it spread throughout the school before he could. Harry understood as well, but rolled his eyes again when he saw the look on Hermione's face. He consoled himself with the thought that at least their little, whatever it was, wouldn't go too far or too long. Harry was convinced they were too different to get along together and would soon see the stupidity of their ways. He just had to tough it out, keep his bile down, and keep an eye on her, until Hermione came to her senses.

Ginny plopped down in her seat next to Harry with a laugh, "You should have come with us, Harry. It took us forever to talk Greg out of subscribing to _Memory Makers_."

"Well, how was I supposed to know it was about some girly craft crap?" Greg laughed with her. "I thought it was some kind of magical muggle magazine."

"Say that three times fast," Harry joked under his breath.

But, Ginny heard him and tried, "Magical muggle magazine. Mugical maggle mugazine. Maggical mugle mugglezine."

Everyone peeled with laughter and when Greg tried it, they doubled over. Only Greg noticed when Draco's laughed died in his throat. Hermione's hand had fallen on his thigh as she tried to hold herself up, and when he subconsciously flexed it, her giggle stopped abruptly. Her eyes went to her hand and then quickly traveled up his body to his face before she snatched her hand back as if burnt.

In a move he would later question and relive over and over, wondering what possessed him to do it, he grabbed her hand before she could pull it back completely and held it tightly in his. Their eyes met and he saw the question in hers, mixed with just enough fear to give him pause, before she slowly pulled her hand out of his grip. He felt the silk of her skin slide through his fingers and had to refrain from grabbing her again. Not understanding his feelings, thoughts, or the sudden wild beating of his heart, he took a breath and stood up.

His abrupt movement silenced everyone as they stopped laughing to stare at him. No one but Greg, who had watched the entire interaction, noticed Hermione's flushed cheeks.

"Where are you going all of a sudden?" Theo asked Draco.

Draco grabbed blindly for his robe and books as he said, "Flying. I need some air."

Before anyone else could ask any other questions he was quickly striding away from them.

Harry shook his head at Draco's apparent abrupt departure and looked pointedly at Hermione. It was only then that he noticed the look on her face and wondered what he had missed that had really caused Draco to suddenly run out of the room.

xxxxxx


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 12  
**  
It wasn't until after dinner that Harry found out what had happened to make Draco leave the all-house common room earlier in the day. Greg had filled Pansy in afterward and then she had told Ginny at dinner. Ginny then shared it with Harry on their way back to her room after classes were over for the day.

"So, you're really okay with this?" he asked her.

Ginny looked up at him and nodded as she shrugged, "Strange, huh?"

Harry nodded mutely, so she continued, "It's just Hermione's never been romanced, you know? She's not as confident as you and Ron seem to think she is about, well, girl things. She needs to be pursued, to feel wanted."

"Ron wanted her. And, what? You think Malfoy is going to be able to do that?!" Harry asked incredulously as he stopped walking and stared at his girlfriend as if he didn't know her.

Ginny shrugged. "Well, yeah. He's changed, too, Harry. He's cute, smart, and now that he's not being an ass all the time, rather funny."

"Are we talking about the same person, here?" Harry asked around his clenched teeth. "The person who called her that horrid name over and over again. The person who made her teeth grow so long she ended up with Madame Pomphrey? The same person who…"

"The same person who changed, grew up and lost enough to know what's really important now, Harry," Ginny quietly interrupted. "Just like the rest of us. The same person who maybe, just maybe, will treat her especially nice to make up for all he's done to her in the past. And, most importantly, the person she seems to be interested in right now."

Harry pushed his hand through his hair in frustration and turned in a circle as if looking for an escape. When he faced her once again, Ginny stepped forward and placed her hands on his chest. "Harry, it's not for us to interfere, no matter whether it's Ron, Draco Malfoy, or even, I don't know, Professor Snape. If she wants our help or advice, she'll ask for it and we'll be there for her. But, until then, we stay out of it. She can handle herself, even though she doesn't think so; she's a grown woman. It's time to step back and just be there for her."

"Okay, first, Snape? Really? Ewwww, Gin!" Harry laughed softly and then closed his eyes and pulled her in for a hug, "I know it's stupid now, and pointless, but I dislike him so much, Gin. For all he's done to everyone, to Professor Dumbledore, just everything. Why him? What is she thinking? What if she's making a huge mistake? What if she's setting herself up for a world of hurt? And, it's only been three days, what if he hasn't changed as much as he wants everyone to think?"

"And, what if he has and she decides she doesn't want him after all?" Ginny asked softly. "What if Hermione hurts him instead? What if, what if, what if? There are no answers, Harry. All we can do is see what happens and react to reality. If it is a mistake, then it's theirs to make."

"I hate this," he sighed into her hair. "I just want to save her from herself."

"I know," she giggled. "That's part of why I love you."

He pulled back to look down at her seriously, "Is it? I thought that was part of why we were fighting."

"Oh Harry," she smiled tenderly up at him, "believe me when I say I love you just as you are. You do have a bit of a save-the-world thing going on, but I find it kind of sexy, really."

He smiled half-heartedly at her attempted joke, but asked, "Seriously, Gin, tell me what to do to fix whatever is wrong with us. Even though I know I shouldn't try to fix it. But, I lost you once due to my own pride and stupidity; I don't think I could take doing it again."

She leaned back in and hugged him close, "You aren't going to lose me, Harry. I fear you are stuck with me for years and years to come." Then she sighed and said in a voice so low he almost missed what she said, "I just have to figure out who it is you're stuck with."

He heard Theo's words from earlier and prayed he would say the right thing, "I am so not stuck, Gin, I'm the luckiest wizard alive. I have the most beautiful, smart, trustworthy witch as my best friend and girlfriend. I'm dating the Head Girl of the entire school. I'm with a woman who can stand toe-to-toe with Blaise Zabini, the head Slytherin git, and make him back down. I'm with a woman who will fight with me and for me, who would protect me with everything she has and everything she is. I'm the luckiest person alive, Ginevra Molly Weasley, because I am with the person who has my heart."

She looked up at him with tears sliding down her face, but a smile lighting her features. "I love you, Harry James Potter. Very much."

"Not half as much as I love you," he whispered.

She met him halfway by standing on her toes and they kissed softly. It wasn't a kiss of need or want, but of understanding; of simple love and forgiveness.

xxxxxx

"So, let me make sure I understand this," Pansy said softly with a small nervous laugh. "Your mother has decided that, I am too good for YOU?"

Draco rolled his eyes, but nodded. He watched Pansy stand and pace away from the sofa they shared in the Slytherin common room. Her face showed relief, awe, and a little panic. He wasn't sure which to deal with first, so he simply waited for her to speak again as he got lost in his own thoughts.

_I wonder what Mother was thinking? Her missive was certainly sparse enough on the subject. _'Oh, and speaking of betrothals, yours to Ms. Parkinson is ended. The Parkinsons and I have decided it would be in the best interest of all concerned to sever their ties and obligations to us. I sincerely hope this news does not distress you, my son. I truly believe you will find true happiness and far exceed that which this union would have brought you. Now, what was I, oh yes, your Aunt Andromeda's betrothal story. I still can't quite believe all that I missed of her life…' _And, that was that. Draco assumed from the way it was written that he and his mother were somehow letting the Parkinsons off the proverbial hook. And, while he knew both he and Pansy were happy about it, Draco wondered, wondered what, if any, role Snape's message to his mother might have played. Had Snape told his mother about…no, he wouldn't. But, he was a persuasive git and as Head of Slytherin, as well as an Ex-Deatheater, could twist things to his own purpose quite easily. Had his parting words to Draco been sincere enough to make him suggest the breaking of the betrothal vow to Draco's mother? And, what would it have taken to make her swallow her pride enough to do so. Begging out of a betrothal would not have been an easy thing for a prideful woman such as his mother. Snape must have told her something…_

Pansy finally turned back to face him and Draco was startled out of his silent musings by the tears coursing down her cheeks. He quickly stood, "Pansy? Pans? Are you…what can I…maybe you should sit down."

She laughed through her tears at his near panicky reaction to her crying, "Calm down, Draco. I just need to…understand this."

"What's to understand?" he asked. "You're free. We're no longer being forced to get married at the end of the year. I thought this would make you happy, Pansy. Not that I can even begin to fathom why you would want to, but you are even free to go after the Weasel should you choose to do so. Though, come to think of it, I do see where that could be a cause for hysterics. I mean, how you could possibly entertain even the idea of him after thinking you were going to end up with me?"

Her tears ceased as she smiled a sardonic smile at him, "Ever the prideful one, aren't you?"

Draco smirked and nodded, but then a frown formed on his face, "Seriously, what's with the tears?"

Pansy shrugged and sat down once again on the sofa, "I don't know really, but I think I'm just feeling too much all at once. I am quite relieved, as I am sure you know, but it's also just…kind of sad, I guess. I mean, we certainly weren't a love match, but I do think I like you, Draco. You know I wanted out of the arrangement, but not because of who you are. Not because of what you've been through. I would never do that to you. I just…"

"You want the chance at happiness that you wouldn't have with me," he finished for her.

"You make it sound so absolute," she said softly. "Maybe we could have…"

"No, we couldn't," he interrupted quietly. Then he added, "Not anyone's fault, but we're just not like that with one another. There's no strong pull, no…"

"Spark," she whispered as she stared at the dark green carpet under their feet.

"Yeah," he answered just as softly. "I want you to be happy, treated well, respected, and lo…loved. You deserve it, Pans. You're an incredible witch with a lot to offer."

She snorted a little, "Just not to you."

When he started to retort, she stopped him, "No, Draco. I didn't mean it as an insult to either one of us. It's just true. I think we could be great friends. I think I could grow to love you, but more like a friend, you know?"

When he nodded, she continued, "And, you should know and believe that what you said is true in the reverse, too."

This time he was the one to get up and pace as he spoke, "Oh, of course. I'm the catch of the century, Pansy. I am Draco Malfoy, failed Headmaster assassin, son of the recently deceased Lucius Malfoy, You-Know-Who's best mate, the boy who let Hermi…Granger get tortured, almost got Potter and the rest killed, newly poor, publicly branded…"

"Draco, stop!" Pansy shouted over his rant. She stepped in front of him and put her hands on his upper arms to still him. "Listen to me."

"No, you don't understand!" he said as he tried to pull away.

But, she held fast, "No! YOU don't understand. You are alive. You made it out! You've been given another chance to choose who and how you want to be, Draco. No, you weren't a model wizard, but you paid for your choices. You've been forgiven. All you have to do is reach out and take your life back."

"You say that like it's so easy; like everyone's just forgotten all I…"

"No," she shook her head as she led him back to the sofa. "No, no one's forgotten. But, as silly as it sounds, time does heal things. Dumbledore's alive and Vo…Volde…Voldemort's dead for good this time. No, you don't have the Malfoy fortune anymore, but you still have plenty enough money and you have your mother. You have your health, your brains, your true friends, and even, I think, some new ones. That is your new fortune. That is what you have to fight for and with. You didn't lose everything, Draco. You still have what's important; a new day to try to be better; be more. You have friends to help you get up and fight each day. And, if you take a chance to go for who or what you want, you might even have a reason to do it."

Draco looked away and decided to pretend ignorance, "I don't know what you mean. What would I have to fight for?"

Pansy smiled softly, "Well, my now non-future husband, I guess that's something you will have to figure out on your own, won't you?"

Draco shrugged and stared into the fire across from them in silence. Pansy let him be for a while, but then thought it best to leave him alone. She patted his leg and stood up. Just as she took her first step away, Draco cleared his throat quietly, making her look back at him.

He didn't look up at her, but instead asked softly, almost as if to himself, "How can things have changed so quickly?"

Pansy didn't have an answer. She knew how he felt, but couldn't explain it to herself, much less him. With a sad, small smile she turned and continued up to her room, all the way thanking Merlin that Theo, Millicent and Goyle had gone to visit Blaise in his room, leaving her alone for a while with her thoughts.

She entered her small common room and leaned back against the door. She didn't notice the low fire that lit upon her arrival, nor the way the beige and tan furniture played against the dark green walls and carpet in the soft light. She was too lost in her own musings.

Crossing the room she said to herself in awe, "No more Pansy Malfoy. I don't have to marry Draco. I'm free."

Then she collapsed into giggles on a chair in front of the fire, "All my thinking and planning and Narcissa did it for me! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'm free!"

With a glee born of that new freedom she decided she needed to tell someone; she needed to share her good news. She stood and made to run from the room, only to realize she had no idea where she would go. She laughed a little at herself when she remembered that her new girlfriends were Gryffindors and one was the Head girl. She couldn't very well go traipsing around the castle asking for directions to the Gryffindor common room to see Hermione. And, with everyone else already at Blaise's, she couldn't go see Ginny. With a sigh, she moved away from the door and sat back down on the chair.

"Man, I wish…" she said as she stared into the fire in front of her. Then she smacked herself on the forehead, "Duh!"

She hurried to kneel in front of the fire and took some of the floo powder from the bowl next to the edge of the fireplace. Students couldn't floo out of Hogwarts, but along with the many other changes that year, the fireplaces had been opened for messaging. They could contact friends inside the school freely from their own fireplaces, and their family and outside friends from specifically monitored ones in various professors' offices.

"Hermione Granger," Pansy called excitedly as she tossed in the floo powder and stuck her head in the flames. She prayed Hermione would be in her common room and that Parvati would still be meeting with her Mental Health advisor, Professor Trelawney.

It wasn't until she heard Hermione's voice calling her name that she realized that she had just easily and without thought, called a friend. She, Pansy Parkinson, had a girl friend. Someone she could call and talk to, just like other women her age.

Hermione come into view with a bright smile, "Hi!"

Pansy watched Hermione cross the room to kneel in front of the fireplace and released a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

Suddenly, she was nervous, "Um, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you if you were busy. I didn't think before I…"

"Pansy, stop," Hermione laughed. "Hi. What's going on?"

Pansy couldn't control her nervous rambling, "Well, I had some news and I wanted to share it with someone. A friend. And, well, I thought of you and Ginny, but if you're busy, I can go. I don't want to impose or anything."

"I wasn't busy, just studying. No worries. Spill," Hermione ordered with a wide smile as she adjusted herself to a more comfortable position.

"I'm free!" Pansy exploded with a laugh.

Having put all her personal thoughts aside as she studied, Hermione was confused, "Huh? Free from what?"

"Draco! Can you believe it?! His mother is calling it off. She thinks it would be bad form to force their family on mine now. Stupid reason really, but whatever, I don't care! I'm free. I don't have to marry Draco!" Pansy beamed.

Hermione reminded herself to act surprised, and smiled a genuine smile, faced with Pansy's obvious glee. "Wow! That's great, Pansy. Congratulations. Now, you don't have to think about how to defy your parents any longer! But, how did this all come about?"

"Draco just told me downstairs. I don't know how long he's known, as I didn't think to ask, but apparently his mother contacted my parents and dissolved the agreement."

Hermione got a thoughtful look on her face, "But, what if your parents didn't agree?"

Pansy looked at her like she had grown another head for a moment before she laughed, "That's right, you're muggleborn, you wouldn't know. It's just the way things are done in wizarding families, Hermione. The male's family has all the actual decision making power. In most cases they are the ones with the money and it's considered a gift to you and your family that they want to merge your families."

"That's so old-fashioned!" Hermione exclaimed with a look of distaste.

"I know," Pansy smiled and then laughed, "but in this case it works out well for me, so I'm not complaining."

Hermione shook her head, but smiled at Pansy. "So, just like that you're free to marry anyone you want?"

Pansy shrugged, "Well, no, not really. I mean, my parents will probably still try to make me a good match, but this at least buys me some time to find a way to tell them how I feel."

"And," Hermione smiled knowingly, "time to plan how to try to attract a certain red-head."

Hermione laughed when Pansy stuttered and her blush could be seen even in the flames that surrounded her head. Hermione tilted her head in thought.

"Doesn't that hurt?" she asked.

Pansy looked confused by the change in the flow of the conversation, "Doesn't what hurt?"

"Kneeling like that? With your head sticking in a fireplace?"

"Oh," Pansy giggled, "kind of. It's hard on the knees sometimes. But, since we still haven't gotten around to adopting those muggle celliefunnies, it's the only way, unless you want to wait for an owl."

"Cell phones," Hermione corrected with a smile. Then she looked up at the clock over her common room door, "But, you know, it's not going to be curfew for a couple of hours. Want to meet me in the all-house common room? We could get a snack, talk, and study together."

Pansy nodded happily, "Yeah. That sounds great. Thanks."

Hermione stood and brushed off her pants, "Okay, see you there in about ten minutes?"

Pansy nodded and Hermione continued with a sly grin, "Who knows. We might even be able to come up with some of that plan for you."

Pansy grinned back and nodded, but then her grin turned to a smirk as she answered, "Who knows, is right. We also might find time to work on a way for you and certain blonde to get a chance to talk."

Before Hermione could answer, Pansy pulled her head out of the fireplace and sat back with a laugh. The look on Hermione's face had been funny; immediate denial, mixed with a touch of interest and hope.

"What's so funny?" Millicent asked from behind her.

Pansy jumped, fell back on her rear, and shrieked, "Millie!"

"Who else?" Millicent's gruff voice answered back as she came around the couch to sit. "Who were you talking to?"

Pansy hedged as she hurriedly got up and moved to the stairs, "Just a study partner. We're going to study in the all-house common room." Then, banking on Millicent's aversion to studying, she added, "Wanna come with?"

Predictably, Millicent shook her head, "You're such a geek. You're almost as bad as Granger with all this studying. Never mind that it's only the first week of school, so you can't have all that much to do yet, but why on earth do you study like it means anything? I mean, you're marrying Malfoy. It's not like you will have to work in the future."

"He doesn't have his fortune any more, remember?" Pansy reminded the woman as she moved up the stairs. She wasn't comfortable telling Millicent about the recent turn of events yet.

"They didn't lose it all," Millie answered back. "I'm sure he's still got enough to keep you and any brats you pop out in shoes and clothes for life."

Pansy just shrugged, "Maybe I want to be able to earn my own way and not be just an accessory in someone's life."

Millicent harrumphed and shook her head as she got up and moved to the little kitchenette area. "Barmy, if you ask me!" she mumbled to herself. Pansy hurriedly grabbed her things and dashed out of the room, calling a goodbye over her shoulder. She rushed down the steps and made it almost to the door before she was stopped.

"Where are you running off to?" Draco called from the sofa he seemed to have not moved from since they'd spoken.

"Oh, um, studying with a friend," she answered vaguely.

Draco leaned back and studied her for a moment, "A friend, huh? That word sure does keep creeping up. So, who's this mystery person?"

Pansy pondered her answer for a moment and then smirked, "A girlfriend. We're going to study, but we're also going to talk about boys and relationships. Wanna come?"

"No thanks," Draco smiled a cheeky grin, "although I am sure you would both benefit from my opinions and oh-so-vast experience."

Pansy stepped out of the portrait with a laugh, but then just before the portrait shut she answered, "I don't need your opinions, but I'm pretty sure Hermione would be interested in knowing them."

xxxxxx

"And, then she said Hermione's actually interested in that asshole! How daft is that?!" Harry said as he rubbed his fists against his eyes, trying to rub back the headache that had formed behind them.

Ron sat next to him on the sofa, his long legs stretched out in front of him, as they enjoyed the privacy of their common study area.

"Yeah, well, maybe we'll get lucky and one of the two of them will realize how stupid it all is," Ron sighed tiredly.

Harry looked at him in shock, "Is that all you have to say?! You're VERY recent ex-girlfriend, is _interested_ in Draco Malfoy! How can you be so calm about this?"

Ron shrugged, "Dunno, Harry. But, we weren't good together, you know that. I want her happy, and as dumb as I think this crush is, if it makes her happy, I'll hold back for a while."

"But, it's MALFOY!" Harry exploded and jumped off the sofa. "Are you mad?!"

"Calm down, Harry," Ron answered. "I didn't say I was happy about it. But, it's what she wants for now, and he seems to want it, too, so…"

"So, you're just going to sit back and let that…that ferret…that ex-Death Eater do whatever it is he has planned to do? To our best friend?!"

Ron looked up at Harry angry face and sighed, "I can't say for sure, but I don't think he's planning anything, Harry. Not this time?"

"How can you say that?! He's pretending to want to be with Hermione!" Harry threw his hands wildly as he spoke. "Like anyone would believe that the Great Pureblood Prat would really be interested in the most famous muggleborn witch in the world!"

Before Ron could answer Harry hurried on, "Ah, that's it!"

"What's it?" Ron asked when Harry stopped moving and seemed to have frozen in place.

"Don't you see? God, what a jerk! He's going to try and use her to get back into the world's good graces. Let them see how much he's supposedly changed by dating a muggleborn witch! And, the money!" Harry slammed his fist into his other open palm. "He's lost everything! With all the money Hermione got from the Ministry for her part in the war, he could be set for life if he could get some from her!"

Ron shook his head, "Harry, think about what you're saying. Malfoy wouldn't saddle himself with Hermione for the rest of his life, just to get her money. If nothing else his pride wouldn't allow it. And, plus, she's smarter than that. She wouldn't let herself be used like that."

"But, Ginny said it earlier. Hermione's never been romanced, seduced. No offense, mate. Hermione wouldn't know what was hitting her if he turned on that snaky charm!"

Ron knew there was no talking to Harry about this any longer. Where Malfoy was concerned, Harry had never listened to reason. Heck, he hadn't either before, but things changed. Between the stuff he'd read and seen over the summer about the Malfoy family, and sharing meals with the man he'd hated forever, Ron had started to see a new person emerge. He couldn't claim to like the new Draco Malfoy, but as with everything else in their lives, he was willing to give this change a chance.

"I think we should trust HER, Harry," Ron finally said. But, then, to show his loyalty to his friend, he added, "But, we can keep an eye on the slimy tosser behind her back."

Harry nodded and sat back down to think about what they could do as he continued to rub his temples. The stress of all the changes of the past few days had gotten to him. He accioed some pain potion and after he'd taken it, sat back next to Ron with an aggravated sigh. As the silence stretched between them, Harry had a realization.

"Wow!" he said softly.

Ron turned to look at him with a questioning look on his face, "What?"

Harry laughed and shook his head, "Just having a normal person moment. They still throw me, I guess."

"What do you mean?"

Harry smiled, "I'm having a normal person, non scar-related headache. It's strange. I can barely remember the last time that happened."

Ron laughed, but he fully understood what his friend meant, "Only you would be happy to be in pain."

xxxxxx

"Pain in the ass!" Blaise said under his breath, but it was still heard by the other occupants of the room.

Three sets of eyes watched Ginny's shoulders straighten and her chin lift, but she continued on her trek back up to her room in stoic silence. Silence had fallen over the group when she'd come down the stairs to get some grapes and some water. Not a word had been said while she was in the kitchen, nor as she'd begun her progress back up the stairs with her snack. Then, just as she reached the top, Blaise has spoken.

Theo sighed heavily after the Head Girl's bedroom door closed softly, "Why? She didn't even say anything. What is your issue with her, anyway?"

"Nothing, but she's part of them," he spat distastefully. "It's almost as bad as having to live with Granger!"

"And?" Greg asked grumpily.

Blaise raised an eyebrow at them, "Isn't that enough?"

"No," Theo shook his head. "Not anymore it's not."

Greg took another sip of his glass of firewhiskey and frowned, "You know what, Blaise? I think it's time you finally accept that we lost. We were wrong. They didn't do anything TO us. In fact, they saved some of our lives. Dammit, they did the same thing what we did; fought for what they believed in. It's like you're obsessed or something! Get over it!"

Blaise's face flushed in his anger as he turned to his friend, "Piss off! Just because you can't get into Granger's tight little underpants, doesn't give you the right to take it out on me. I swear, just because you and Draco finally noticed she has a nice ass, doesn't mean the rest of us have to fall all over ourselves making nice to the little bint!"

"Maybe Granger's ass is the real problem," Theo mumbled into his glass.

"Meaning?" Blaise snapped.

Theo looked up at the two men and shrugged a little, "You don't want to know."

"Oh, I think I do," Blaise sneered. "Come on, Mr. Smartass, say it."

The look on Blaise's face dared Theo to speak. And, Theo, a bit afraid of his angry friend, decided retreat was the best solution. Putting his glass down, he stood.

He moved toward the portrait door as he spoke, "Look, I didn't mean anything, Blaise. Forget it. I have to go get some studying done before bed. Uh, thanks for the drinks. Good night."

Neither of the other men spoke as the door portrait swung closed behind Theo's back.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence Blaise finally sighed as he reached for his glass, "Jerk!"

"Oh, shut it," Greg said with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hey! You do remember whose room this is, right?"

Greg's voice rose with each word, "Oh yeah, I do. It's the Head's room. It's the room of the man who just ran one of his few friends from it. It's the room of a man who can't face reality. It's the room of a man, who is so fuckin' delusional, it's sad!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Blaise screamed back into Greg's face. Although, Blaise wasn't as wide as Greg, he was just as tall. And, he'd never been afraid of the larger boy, now man.

"The same thing as Theo!" Greg snapped. "Did it never occur to you examine your fixation? First, Ginny in fourth year and now Hermione. Theo and I were talking about the war, you kept bringing her into it. Tight little pants? Nice ass? What's that say, Blaise? Think about it!"

"You're barking mad if you think I'd ever want the VP! Whatever it is you and Draco suddenly find so damn interesting about her is lost on me! I wouldn't lower myself to touch that mud…"

His voice was cut off as Greg's hand closed on his throat and he hissed, "Watch it!"

Blaise shook off Greg's hand and stepped back, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Greg shook his hands as if to loosen them up and looked at Blaise, "At the moment? You!"

Blaise was angry and confused. His friends telling him something he'd denied to himself, had made it painfully clear, and he wasn't yet ready to accept or admit to it. In reaction he attacked back.

Blaise's face lit in an evil grin, "Wait, did I hit a nerve, Greggy? When I said you and Draco, did you finally realize you'd lost to him again? Did it finally piss you of that you bowed out of the fight before it even started? When are you going to stop bowing to his ass and doing his damn bidding? You want Granger, go for it. You've got as much right to take out trash as the next guy!"

xxxxxx

Ginny tried to block out the sounds of the guys shouting about Hermione below. It wasn't until the tone of their voices changed that she realized they were no longer having a friendly fight. A real one had taken its place. She wondered if it was her place or right to intervene. Part of her wanted to protect her friend's honor, part wanted to deduct points just because she could, but the biggest part simply wanted to tell them to all grow up and shut up.

When she'd first come back to her room with Harry, she'd urged him to go talk to Ron rather than come in with her. Too much had happened in too short a time and she needed a break from it all. Her plan had been to take a long, hot bath and curl up with a nice love story. But, the tension and then fighting from the men downstairs made her more tense than when she'd come in the room in the first place. Intent on ending things downstairs, so that she could finally relax, she headed back downstairs for the second time.

Her steps faltered on the steps as she heard Blaise's last insult to her friend, and then watched Greg knock him out cold in one swing. Later, she would laugh at the look on Blaise's face as he went down, but first she had to deal with a very angry, very large Slytherin man in her common room.

"Uh, Greg?" she began.

"What?!" he grunted as he hurriedly turned to face her. She watched his face slowly drain of anger as he realized what he had done, and to whom. "Oh, shit!"

Ginny took a tentative step forward and smiled a bit, "I always knew you were strong, but that was…"

"How many points?" he asked in defeat as his shoulders dropped and he hung his head.

"None from me, in fact I just might give you some," she smiled fully. "But, you may want to avoid him for a while."

Greg nodded and continued to look at her sadly.

"Are you…" she began. Then she took the last steps to stand near him, "Greg, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry," he said and stepped back from her to turn away. "For what he said. For what I did. God, I wanted this year to be different! It's only the second night and…"

Ginny placed her hand on his shoulder from behind the sofa as she said, "And, it's only the second night. As much as we all want things to be miraculously different and better this year, we need to give it time."

She waited a moment for him to acknowledge what she'd said before she continued, "Old hurts, prejudices, and pain don't go away over night, Greg. Most of us had time to come to terms with a lot of things that happened last year, and over the summer. Blaise didn't. He wasn't forced to fight, not for either side. He never had to choose in the end. Maybe that's part of why he's so angry still. He never got to choose. His whole world has changed and he had no say in it."

Greg turned to her as she sat beside him on the sofa, "It's not like the rest of us had a say, Ginny."

"But, you did, don't you see? How do I explain this? Look, before the war you made a choice, you picked a side. Then, you fought for what you believed in at the time. And, you lost, thank Merlin. But, you got your say. You made your stand. What you had to deal with afterward was the loss. Yes, you had to pay for what you did in other ways, too, but emotionally, you all had to find a way to get past losing."

"Yeah, so?" Greg asked.

Ginny smiled softly, "What you and your friends are failing to see is that Blaise didn't get that. He's suffering the loss, too. But, he doesn't even have the, I guess satisfaction is the best word, of having been in the fight. He may be a wanker, and a loud mouth, but I think he deserves some of his anger."

"Are you defending him?!" Greg asked, his eyes widening.

"Hell, no," Ginny laughed bitterly. "I'm just saying change is hard on everyone. We all had a few months to get through most of it; to decide what we did and didn't want out of this year; to figure out who we wanted to be. He didn't get that. He had what? A few weeks after he got back? He's still trying to grasp all that happened while he was gone, he's got all this new responsibility being Head Boy, and he's got no one to talk to, really talk to. You lot have done nothing but tell him he's wrong and needs to accept things. And, while I agree with you, I also think you need to give him the time you got. Let him come to terms with things and figure out what he wants out of it all."

Greg stared at her for a moment before a grin spread across his face, "No wonder you're Head Girl. You're really good at this talking to people stuff."

Ginny giggled, "Gee thanks."

"But, I get what you're saying. And, I'll try. But, he makes it so hard, you know?"

Ginny nodded and tilted her head thoughtfully, "Kinda hard seeing your old self and hearing all the things you used to say all the time, huh?"

Greg flushed a bit as he nodded, "Yeah, it is. I can barely believe I used to sound like that."

Ginny bumped him lightly with her elbow, "Well, at least you've finally come around."

"If you two are finished all this sissy shit, maybe you could shut up. I have a pounding headache and I am trying to remember a reason not to kill you!" Blaise grumbled from his spot on the floor.

Both Ginny and Greg jumped at the sound of his voice and Ginny got up to move out of the line of fire.

"Don't make me take points from you, Zabini!" she snapped as he stood and moved toward Greg.

Blaise stopped and looked over at her and sneered, "Maybe losing some house points on his face will help me 'come to terms with things.'"

Ginny's mouth dropped open hearing her words thrown back at her, but it was Greg who found his voice.

"Leave her alone, Blaise. It's me you're angry with. And, I'm sorry I hit you."

Blaise's fists opened and closed repeatedly as he looked from one to the other. Then he turned abruptly and went to the stairs as he said over his shoulder, "Just leave, Greg. I can't deal with you any more tonight."

Neither spoke as they watched Blaise continue up the stairs. Then they turned to one another, but could think of nothing to say. Ginny shook her head and looked back at the stairs. Greg breathed a deep sigh and turned to the door.

"Thanks again, Ginny. Good night."

"Good night, Greg," she called softly as the portrait swung closed. She stared at nothing for a long while before she turned to go back upstairs. The sight of Blaise looking down at her from the balcony stopped her.

His face was blank, but his eyes blazed with anger as he hissed, "You're stupid and wrong. Do not ever again try to analyze me, you little blood traitor! You have no idea what I do or do not think. And, you most certainly have no fuckin' clue how I feel!"

He turned and walked back to his room and she didn't move until she heard his door slam. She was actually very glad he hadn't turned back to look at her, because the sardonic smile on her face would have set him over the edge. All she could hear in her head was a phrase Hermione used all the time, "Methinks thou dost protest too much." Ginny slowly went around the room lowering the lamps as she patted herself on the back.

She had done a good job at helping Greg. It hadn't been on her mind at the time that she was Head Girl, but once he'd complimented her on it, she'd realized that talking to students, like she had done with him, was now her job. And, the fact that she had handled it well made her pretty proud of herself. And, if Blaise had heard enough to sneer her words back at her, then at least she'd made some impression on him, too. His denial also proved that he had thought about what she'd said.

"Maybe I won't be so bad at this Head Girl thing after all," she smiled to herself as she went back up to her room for that long awaited relaxing bath.

xxxxxx


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"And, it really doesn't bother you that she's Head and not you?" Pansy asked in awe. Most of her relationships had been built on necessity, bribery, or blood. Until this year she had never had friends just because they had common interests or shared memories. She had always assumed that all friendships were laced with a good dose of dislike, the desire for one-upmanship, or the need to prove oneself. The thought of Hermione not being jealous of Ginny just blew her away.

Hermione smiled and laughed a little as she looked around the nearly empty all-house common room, "No, Pansy. Not at all. Now, if you had asked me before the war, then maybe, but now I just…I guess I don't want the responsibility."

Pansy nodded thoughtfully, and Hermione continued her eyes unfocussed in thought, "Gin will be great at it. And, she deserves it; worked hard for it. I think I just need this year to be normal for a change. Vati says I need to learn how to be a normal teenager; a normal girl. Every year at Hogwarts has been an adventure, often an exercise in fear. And, it was always focused on Harry, Voldemort and the war. I need time to just be me and figure out what I do now that I don't need to be the strong, fearless, brainy friend of Harry Potter."

"The brains behind the man," Pansy smiled.

"Something like that," Hermione laughed. "But, enough about me. We're supposed to be talking about you."

Pansy blushed a bit as she asked, "Be honest with me. Am I crazy for even thinking he would like me? I mean, it's not like we've even been friendly before."

"The truth?" Hermione asked. When Pansy nodded, she said, "I don't know. I mean, nothing against you at all. It's just that as smart as Ron is, he isn't the most adapt at picking up on clues from girls. Look how long it took us to get together."

"So what can I do?" Pansy sighed.

Hermione looked at her for a moment before she asked, "Why Ron? What do you see in him? Know about him? What do you want from him?"

"Well, I…" Pansy started, thrown by the questions. Her eyes clouded as she thought back on how it all began. "I guess it started because I thought he was adorable in those ugly robes at the ball fourth year. He was so uncomfortable and it was kind of funny. Draco kept making jokes about the Weasleys being poor, but I kept watching Ron watch you. His eyes were so expressive, so sad; it made me want to hug him. But, I knew it was forbidden, so I just…Well, anyway, I guess I started watching him a lot after that. And, I saw he wasn't the bumbling fool we all thought him to be. He's smart, and funny, loyal, caring, brave, determined, a bit of a prat sometimes, too, but what man isn't? I knew he would get you to go out with him eventually. Who wouldn't want to melt into those eyes, kiss those pouty lips, feel his…"

Hermione coughed delicately to cut her off and laughed at Pansy's immediate blush.

"Sorry, but you asked," she smiled. "Anyway, it was over the summer that I guess I really started thinking about him as a possibility. I read that you two were together and I kept telling myself to let it go. It wasn't like I could ever compete with you, so I just had to get over it. Plus, there was the thing with Draco, even though we hadn't even seen each other since the last day of the war. But, at night, alone in my room, I would dream of him; of the possibility of him. I would watch news reports just looking to see Ron's name. And, I clipped pictures from the _Prophet_ with him in them. I couldn't stop myself. It gave me something to hope for, I guess. It helped me get through the summer, through those sessions. I knew if I could just be strong and make it through, I would get to see him again here. I knew you two would be together, and I never had any intention of letting him, or anyone really, know of my secret. I wouldn't have dared try anything. Just seeing him every day would have been enough, I thought. But, somehow in the last three days, all that has changed. I surely never meant to blurt it out to Harry the first night, and I…"

"Harry knows?!" Hermione interrupted in shock.

"Oh, well yeah. He didn't tell you?"

Hermione shook her head, "No. No, he didn't. But, Harry never goes back on his word. So, if you asked him not to…"

"I did," Pansy nodded.

"Well, there you have it," Hermione answered.

"Wow. I just assumed he would…I mean, he's your best friend. He doesn't owe me anything," Pansy exclaimed, once again in awe.

Hermione just smiled and shrugged. "So, back to Ron."

"Oh. Oh yeah," Pansy grinned. "I don't know what to do. I know I don't know him very well, yet, but I want to. I want to know what makes him happy and sad. I want to see what he looks like in the morning with his hair standing on end. I want to have dinner at his parents' house with all of his family and have him be proud to be seen with me. I've never been at a family meal at my home that wasn't formal or alone. Ginny and Ron are so easy together, like a family should be. And, I…I want that. I want that with him. God, Hermione, these last few days have been a miracle. I never dared think I could be friends with you or Ginny. And, I never dreamed I'd get to spend time with Ron, but it's all happening. Now, I just want to know what to do to make him see me as something other than a Slytherin or Draco's girlfriend. How can I make him forget that I almost got Harry killed? How can you forget that? Will you ever forgive me?"

By the time she was done, Pansy was a mess of tears. She looked so distressed and defeated that Hermione reached out to hug her. "Shh, it'll be okay, Pansy. Come on, stop crying. That's good. Now take a breath. Good."

"I feel so stupid," Pansy sighed as she blew her nose. "I'm sorry."

"Don't," Hermione shook her head. "You're not stupid. Now, listen to me. I can't speak for Ron or Harry, although I think they would agree with me. There's nothing for me to forgive, Pansy. It was war. It was scary and horrifying and we all did what we could to survive it. Everyone made mistakes, everyone, including Harry, Ron and me. And, you may not have made the same decision I would have in that moment, but it's done. It's over. You suffered and paid for it. It isn't my right or place to forgive you. The only two people who need to forgive you are Harry and you."

When Pansy's eyes widened slightly, Hermione nodded, "Yes, you. You said you want this year to be different. You want people to see you for who you are and you want the chance to show everyone all that you can be. Well, Pansy that's starts with showing yourself. You have to first forgive yourself and realize that one mistake doesn't have to define you. I can't promise you that everyone will suddenly see you differently, but they will start to see that there is more to you. And, maybe, like Ginny and I did, they will give you a chance. That includes Ron."

"But, what if I can't forgive myself," Pansy whispered.

"You can," Hermione insisted. "You just have to give yourself the same chance you want everyone else to give you."

"It's not that easy," Pansy sighed. "Every time I look at Harry, I think of what could have happened and I…"

Hermione shook her head, "But it didn't! And, you can't live your life with what ifs. The reality is your actions didn't make a difference. Harry won. Things happened the way they were supposed to happen. Look, there are enough people out there who are more than willing to tear you down, don't help them; don't be one of them. You can forgive yourself. You will. You won't forget; you may still feel badly about it at times, but Pansy, give yourself a break. You were a scared sixteen year old and you reacted to what you saw as a chance to live, nothing more."

"I was a coward," Pansy sniffled.

Hermione smiled softly, "You actually weren't. And, anyway, that's not a crime."

"It is to a Gryffindor. To Ron."

"No, Pansy. I think people get this house thing so wrong sometimes." Hermione sighed, "Yes, we are better known for our bravery, but it's not like we were given a choice. And, do you know what bravery is? It's love and a fear of failure. It's knowing that if you do nothing people, many people you love, even yourself, could die. It's deciding to die fighting, rather than begging and crying. It's knowing that if you fail, you have done so much more than simply let yourself down. To us, cowardice is the acceptance of failure, the acceptance of the death of your friends, and it's simply something we can't do. It's not a crime, Pansy, it's just that for us, at least those of us who fought, defeat was unthinkable. In this case, defeat meant enslavement; and for many, like me, death, painful, horrible, demeaning deaths. Trust me; it wasn't bravery, so much as survival. And, it wasn't just Gryffindors that showed that bravery. You did in a way. Narcissa Malfoy did. And, …"

"What?! Pansy interrupted sharply. "No, neither one of us…"

"Yes, you did! As I said, bravery is love and the fear of failure. It's survival. You were afraid to be killed; to let down your side. You did what you could to survive, just like the rest of us. And, Narcissa showed it when she lied for Harry."

"She only did it for Draco," Pansy sighed.

Hermione nodded, "That's right. For love. For his survival. For the survival of her family. I don't even think she realizes even now how important her final decision was in the end. She was scared and defeated, but the bravery she showed in those last moments was astounding."

Both were quiet for a moment, then Pansy wiped at a tear and looked over at Hermione, "Okay, say you're right. What do I do now? You saw it at dinner the other night. Others don't see it that way."

"You forgive yourself. You hold your head up high. You show everyone, including yourself, another kind of bravery from here on out. You let them see that you are who you are and that she's not so bad. People will come around or they won't. You can't control that."

"And, Ron?" Pansy persisted.

Hermione looked down for a moment and answered, "You know, maybe you need to just let it go for a little while. Things like this don't happen overnight and it seems to me, you have a lot to handle right now without adding that to it. I mean, I think it could happen, but give it time. You haven't figured out who you are yet. How can Ron get to know a person even you don't know, yet? If you don't like yourself, why should he?"

"I don't hate myself," Pansy mumbled as she fiddled with the sofa cushion.

"But, you don't particularly love yourself either, do you?"

Pansy shrugged.

"You have to love yourself before others can love you. And, don't you think you deserve to be loved?" Hermione asked softly.

One shoulder lifted slightly as Pansy murmured, "Sure, I guess. Maybe."

"You do, Pansy," Hermione stated. She was quiet for a moment before she continued, "That's something it took me a while to figure out."

Pansy turned on the sofa to look at Hermione fully, her face a mask of confusion, "You? How could you ever doubt it? You're Hermione Granger, the smartest witch in a century. Look at all you've done; all the things you've accomplished, even before the war. You're amazing. You're…"

"A muggleborn, as Dra…Malf… he reminded me continuously. The know-it-all. The bushy-haired, buck-toothed freak. The girl who spends more time with her books than with real life. I know what I am, Pansy, and if on certain days I forgot, your ex was more than happy to remind me every chance he got."

"He doesn't think that way anymore," Pansy stated.

"Maybe. We'll see, I guess. But, it doesn't matter anymore, really. Too much has happened to us all to hold on to all that. What Malf…Dra…he did and said back then are irrelevant now anyway. It's almost as if it was from a different time. It's not like any of us were any nicer to him, either. And, I know he's suffered and changed, too. He's learned that things aren't always black and white and that sometimes, he too, can be wrong. Maybe he'll see me for me, maybe he won't. Either way…I think that's part of why I liked Ron so much. He didn't see all those things. He knew me and saw me, and I liked that. More than I liked him, I think now."

"So, how did you learn…"

"Learn to love myself?" Hermione smiled and shrugged. "I don't know. Honestly, I don't think I ever didn't. Don't think I was always happy with who I was, who I am, but I never hated myself for it. I accepted myself, my limitations and my good qualities. Somewhere along the way I learned that no matter what others might think, if I was the best me I could be, that would be have to be enough."

"And, you think it could happen for me, too?"

'Yes, Pansy I do. I like what I know of you, so far. And, I think once you get to know you better, you will, too."

Pansy smiled, "Well, I hope so. And, just so you know, I like you just the way you are." Then she teased a little, "And, now that you've learned to tame those curls of yours, people can see how pretty you really are."

Hermione laughed, "Yeah, right. Vati says she's taking me under her wing. So, maybe with a little makeup and a change of clothes I'll see this person you see."

"Just don't let her go too crazy," Pansy said as she wrinkled her nose a bit. "She can be a bit heavy-handed with the makeup wand. And, honestly, Hermione, you don't need all that stuff. You're gorgeous just the way you are."

The blonde man that stood quietly beside the sofa, concealed by a disillusionment charm, nodded in agreement. He had spied on them in hopes of getting to know more about the woman who'd started to commandeer his every thought. But, he'd learned more about Hermione Granger in those few quiet minutes than he'd ever hoped to learn. Whatever doubts he'd had about his changed feelings toward her had dissipated as she'd quietly talked to his ex-fiancée. She'd shown more compassion and understanding than he'd ever seen, even to him and his mother. He'd always known that his taunts had hurt her; that had been his aim. He'd tried to break her spirit and pride, as she'd unknowingly broken his time and time again. His guilt ate at him as he'd spied on their conversation and relived the many ways he'd tried to crush her. And, for the first time ever, he was proud of having failed at something. He hadn't broken her.

As quietly as he'd come, he turned away and made his way out of the room. He headed towards the library, supremely unconcerned about lateness of the hour. He didn't intend to get caught, so he wouldn't. And, what he suddenly needed to do could not wait a moment longer. It was time to do what he'd avoided during his long torturous summer. He was going to go read up on trials, tribulations, truths and pains of one Ms. Hermione Granger.

xxxxxx

A couple of week later Parvati awoke on the morning of September 19th and hurried out of bed to get everything ready before Hermione woke up. She didn't have a lot of time; she knew her roommate never slept in long. It was Hermione's birthday and Parvati had been planning things for a week, ever since Ginny had reminded them all that it fell on a Saturday. As her wand flew around and small decorations began to fill the common area in their dorm, she thought back to that conversation when everyone had been in the all-house common room studying when Hermione had gotten up to get another book for her research.

_Ginny then leaned in conspiratorially, "We should do something big for her birthday next week."_

Pansy's eyes widened, "When is it?"

"Next Saturday," Ginny answered.

Theo had smiled, "Well, we should do something for her. I understand turning eighteen is a big thing in the muggle world."

"Yeah, it is," Ron mumbled. "But, she's turning nineteen."

Greg frowned, "I didn't know that."

Pansy smiled at him and then turned back to Ginny, "So, assuming by the look on Ro…Ron's face, her eighteenth wasn't all that it should have been, what with the war and everything, maybe we should make this one something to remember."

Everyone nodded, but the conversation had ended when Ginny whispered, "Here she comes. We'll talk about it more later."

For the remainder of the day they had passed ideas and notes to each other as they tried to plan a surprise for Hermione. Draco had surprised them all in Muggle Studies when he'd quietly suggested they might want to do something purely muggle, like get permission to go off-grounds to a muggle event or something. When pressed for more ideas he'd clammed up and looked away, as if bored, and left the rest of the planning to them. It hadn't been until after dinner that the plans had been finalized and Harry had gained permission for them to all go from the Headmistress. He's also spread the word that more people could join them.  
  
Now that the day was upon them, Parvati found she was just as excited about their evening as she hoped Hermione would be. She and her sister had been very privileged growing up. They had travelled extensively and seen most of the world, but only the magical world. Padma had read a lot of stories about the muggle world and told her of them, but it had never been either of their desire to seek out any muggle entertainment. Now, faced with the chance to see things she'd only heard of, she was almost giddy with anticipation.

Just as she finished the last of the decorating, a soft knock came at the door. She hurried to it and heard the giggles before she even got it opened.

"Quiet," she whispered as the girls piled into the room, "she'll hear you."

Ginny rolled her eyes and muttered a muffliato before she turned to Parvati with a raised brow and a laugh, "Forget you're a witch?"

Parvati grinned as she nodded, "Guess I'm too excited to think clearly."

"Same here! I could barely sleep," Pansy laughed. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Millicent harrumphed and sat heavily on the sofa, "She's not kidding. She was up all night jawing about it. Sheesh. You didn't even make coffee? How's a person supposed to be civil, much less cheery at this hour?"

Padma and Susan came through the door carrying trays, "We've got it. And, muffins, too."

Millicent immediately reached for the pot, but Lavender admonished, "No, not until she wakes up!"

Ginny stepped across the quickly filling room to Parvati, "The room looks great. Good job with everything."

"Thank you," she smiled back. "So, is everything set for the rest of the day?"

"Yep, the boys and everyone else are meeting us in front of the Great Hall in an hour, and Professor McGonagall arranged the carriages to take us to the gates. From there, we apparate to my house and her parents will meet us there." Ginny laughed. "She's going to be so surprised!"

"I think I heard her alarm!" Pansy squealed and ran to the bottom of the stairs. "Yeah, she's moving around up there."

All of the women in the room took their positions, even Millicent, who grumbled about how stupid it all was. No one responded to her, as they'd come to realize that her snarky comments rarely meant anything. She seemed to express joy and sorrow the same way, with sarcasm. The small smile on her face as she vanished her decorations and then herself, let them know of her excitement anyway.

Parvati placed herself on the sofa in the now "empty" room and reached for her cup of coffee just as Hermione emerged from the bathroom and looked down over the railing.

"Good morning. You're up early," she said around a yawn as she made her way down the stairs.

Parvati nodded in greeting and smiled, but didn't trust herself to speak without squealing.

Hermione didn't notice as she reached the bottom of the steps and stretched, "Any more coffee?"

Parvati nodded and indicated the pot on the table. She watched until Hermione reached the right spot and then screamed, "Happy birthday!"

Before Hermione could recover from the shout the rest of the women and all the decorations appeared all around her. She screamed and jumped almost a foot off the ground when everyone screamed, "Surprise!"

It took her a moment to realize what was happening as everyone swarmed her and congratulated her on her birthday. As soon as she figured it out she smiled hugely, even as tears slid down her face, "Thank you!"

Hugs were exchanged as the coffee and muffins were quickly passed out and consumed. Throughout, Hermione was told that there was a lot more surprises in store for her day, but she couldn't pry any specific information out of them. She was laughingly sent back upstairs to shower and get changed, and told to dress comfortably. Parvati had already packed her other outfit for their day, and went to grab both of their bags while everyone else left to get their things and meet downstairs.

xxxxxx

Half an hour later Hermione was once again surprised by the sheer number of people who'd turned out to help her celebrate. She greeted friends from her own house, as well as a good number from the others. It seemed to her that many of them were as excited to be going off-grounds, as they were to help her celebrate. She also noticed the many bags, but no matter who she asked, no one would tell her anything about why they carried suitcases or overnight bags with them. She milled through the crowd accepting birthday wishes and thanking people for a short while before Ron and Harry pulled her aside. Parvati had watched her wipe a few stray tears away as both hugged her close.

"What's that all about?" Theo wondered beside her.

Parvati shrugged, "I would guess they're reminiscing a bit. It's not like her last birthday was one to remember; they want to make this one really special for her."

Theo nodded, but Pansy, who stood on her other side, looked away sadly.

"Hey, stop," Parvati said softly. "It's over. No more blame or guilt, remember? Especially not today. Hermione wouldn't want that."

Pansy nodded and clasped her hands together to keep them from trembling. She was a bundle of raw nerves. Not only would she be spending the day celebrating her new friend's birthday, and get to spend the whole day trying to get Ron to finally notice her, but she was also going to experience all kinds of new muggle things she'd only read about or seen on the television her family had been forced to use over the summer. It was like a whole new world was opening up to her and she couldn't contain her excitement. Professor Mills had assigned all of them to write a paper on one new muggle thing they'd seen or done during the day and she couldn't wait to see which one she would choose. All of the things Harry, Ron and Ginny had mentioned were as foreign to her as they were exciting, and she trembled with expectation.

"You're right," she nodded finally and squared her shoulders. "Hermione wouldn't want any more reminders of last year. And, today is all about her having fun, so let's get to it, shall we?"

Parvati called out for quiet over the noise when she saw their Headmistress making her way down the hall towards them. Professor Mills walked with her and they both stopped at the doors to the Great Hall.

"Good morning," Professor McGonagall said as she moved her cane behind her a little. She hated when anyone stared at it and stood taller as she spoke.

"Good morning, Professors," the group chorused.

"First, allow me to wish you a very happy birthday, Ms. Granger. You have very good friends here who have planned quite a day for you and I hope you enjoy every moment of it." Her eyes, which had softened as she'd spoken to one of her favorite students, went back to eagle-eyed sharpness as they turned to the rest of the group. "But, as your headmistress I must remind each of you about the stipulations for this journey."

"No, I won't ruin any surprises," she continued when she caught the looks of alarm on the faces of Parvati, Pansy and Ginny. "Now, first, none of you are to stray from any of the previously approved locations at any time. Aurors have been strategically placed for your protection. They won't interfere in any way in your day, unless you give them cause to approach you. And, when you must separate from the larger group, you must stay with at least two others. Last, no one, I repeat no one, will disrespect any of the chaperones in any way. They have full permission to send you back here immediately should that occur, and I promise you, you will not like the results. Now, go have fun and enjoy your day. Professor Mills and I will meet you at the gates when you return tonight."

Everyone smiled and laughed when Hermione asked, "Tonight? Seriously, why the overnight bags then?"

Ginny wound her arms through Hermione's and sang out, "You'll see. Come on everyone, we don't want to be late."

Parvati laughed with her and they led Hermione through the doors. Everyone laughed when Hermione squeaked upon seeing the four carriages waiting for them out front. Harry had arranged for them to be pulled by actual horses so that no one would have a reminder of their losses by seeing the thestrals. And, Ginny, Pansy, Parvati and Luna had decorated each of them with large "Happy Birthday Hermione" banners and floating colored balloons.

Hermione got in first and then Parvati allowed Theo to help her into the first carriage. Ginny and Harry quickly scrambled in behind them and they waited for the others to find seats. Hermione barely had time to settle and wonder who would take the remaining seat before the door was opened once again and Draco Malfoy joined them.

"The others full?" Harry asked in lieu of a greeting.

Draco nodded, but said nothing as he took a seat across from Hermione, next to Ginny.

Parvati smiled at him a little and then nudged Theo to get him to break the sudden silence. She'd seen the way Hermione's face had lit up when Draco had entered the carriage and hoped to keep her friend in high spirits throughout the day. She knew Hermione had a tendency to get nervous and clam up when Draco showed up anywhere and she didn't want that for the whole day.

"Glad to have you," Theo said to Draco with a small nod. Then he looked to Ginny and Parvati, "So, who all came today?"

Ginny cleared her throat and sent him a grateful smile before she answered, "Well, there's us, Ron, Pansy, Luna, Millie, Dean, Greg, Padma and Terry, Lavender and Seamus, Cho and Michael, Susan and Wayne, and Hannah and Neville."

Hermione joked, "Bring enough couples?"

Parvati shook her head and laughed, "I had no idea that many people had paired up already."

"Well, that certainly explains some of the guys asking to come," Harry laughed. When Hermione looked at him in question he explained, "Well, it started off kind of a smaller group, but then people wanted to bring their boyfriends or girlfriends."

Draco smirked and laughed under his breath, but when he noticed Hermione looking at him, he crossed his arms uncomfortably and looked out of the window.

Parvati noticed his actions, but didn't comment as she went on with the conversation, "We have the coolest day planned. We hope you like it!"

"What are we doing?" Hermione laughingly asked again. "Tell me."

"Nope," Harry shook his head. "It's a full day of surprises."

Ginny smiled, "It's all been planned out. You get to just enjoy."

The girls kept up a steady stream of conversation as the carriages made their way across the grounds of the school. When they arrived at the gates everyone piled out and went to stand together, unsure of how to get out. Parvati stepped forward to tell them what to do.

"Professor McGonagall arranged for the gates to open for us, but only as a group."

"And, how do we do that?" Susan called out.

Parvati answered, "Well, she said we all have to be touching and then I touch the Hogwarts symbol and they are supposed to open. So, everyone hold hands."

Parvati looked around and rolled her eyes as boys quickly switched places with people so that they were holding only girls' hands. She bit back her grin, even as her eyes darted to Ginny's and Pansy's to see if they'd noticed what she had. Her grin came to fruition when Pansy smiled brilliantly at her and Ginny tried to hold back her laugh. Hermione was stuck between Greg and Draco. And, while Greg stood as close to her as possible, Draco stood just as far away, glancing nervously down at his and Hermione's clasped hands.

"Everyone ready?" Parvati asked. When they all nodded, she turned and lifted her and Theo's clasped hands and touched the large crest on the gate. Almost immediately the gates sprang open and the group hurried through. When the last student passed through the gates, they swung shut and resealed themselves.

"Okay, now what?" Hermione asked as she dropped both men's hands and moved a step away from them.

"Surprise number one and you're coming with me," Ron laughed. "Everyone who doesn't know how to get there, find someone who does for the side along apparition. Then, go ahead and go. We'll be right behind you."

When only Hermione and Ron were left he turned to her with a soft smile, "I hope you really enjoy today, Hermione. You deserve it."

She gave him a quick hug, "Thank you. I know I will. So, where to?"

"Nuh uh," he laughed. "You're not getting me to spoil the surprise. Hold on tight."

Moments later Hermione opened her eyes as her breath came back and saw the smiling faces of the Weasley family mixed in with all of her friends.

"The Burrow?!" she laughed.

Molly Weasley hurried forward and grabbed her in a tight hug, "Happy birthday, my dear, happy birthday! Nineteen. I can hardly believe it; just yesterday you were such a little thing; all hair and teeth. And, now look at you; a beauty. All grown up."

"Let her breathe Mol," Arthur said warmly as he pulled her out of his wife's arms and into his, "Happy birthday, my girl."

"Thank you," she smiled at them. For the next few minutes she greeted the rest of the Weasley family as Ron and Ginny got everyone out of the house and into the backyard where food and drinks were laid out. Music played loudly in the air and Parvati smiled when she saw Hermione come out singing along to a muggle song very few others knew.

Parvati noticed that most the Slytherin contingent looked uncomfortable in their little corner of the yard and nudged Theo in their direction. She saw the look of resignation and annoyance on Draco's face and hoped he wouldn't cause trouble. She also remembered seeing the looks of distaste on the faces of the many in the Weasley family when Draco Malfoy had popped into their midst, his scowl pronounced and his stance defensive. Rather than cause trouble they had simply turned away from him and pretended he wasn't there. She'd seen his shoulders drop a little and wondered briefly if their rejection had somehow hurt him. But, before she could ponder it further Hermione and Ron had popped into the room and ended the odd moment for everyone.

Shaking herself out of her memory, she urged Theo, "Just go make sure they are okay. Try to get them to mingle or something. And, please tell Draco to stop scowling."

Theo nodded and headed in their direction and Parvati turned away to see where Hermione was. She saw her laughing with Fred and George, as they showed her a box full of their joke products. Ginny and Harry had gone in to help Mrs. Weasley and the rest of the group relaxed on mismatched chairs and benches around the yard as they ate and drank.

Parvati grabbed a butterbeer and took a sip as she looked back to the Slytherins. Greg and Pansy looked uncomfortably worried about being there, Millicent looked belligerent, and Draco's face was blank. She wondered what he was thinking as he stared at Theo. Theo was talking to them quietly, but his shoulders were bunched, showing his unease. When she saw him motion to the tables and chairs and then Millicent shake her head, Parvati sighed heavily. It wouldn't do to have them all be standoffish all day, even though she knew they weren't happy to be at Ron and Ginny's house.

Most of the Weasleys gave them a wide berth and ignored them for the most part, but Fred and George were never able to leave well enough alone. She saw them move away from Hermione and head in the direction of the small group of Slytherins and decided to head them off at the pass. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ginny come out with more drinks, see her brothers, and change directions to get to them. They all reached the Slytherins at the same time.

"…is stupid!" Theo was saying.

Pansy's eyes widened when they were joined by the others, but she put on a tremulous smile, "Hello, everyone."

"Fred, do you see a group of snakes?"

"Yes, George. And, a stupid ferret in the middle."

"Oi, what are you lot doin…"

Ginny loudly talked over her brothers as she elbowed them aside, "Hey. Having fun? Did you guys get something to eat? Who wants a drink?"

Draco muttered under his breath, "Got a few hundred shots of firewhiskey?"

Ginny shot him a look, but turned to Pansy, "Mom's on her way out with the cake. You guys should make your way over to the tables."

Her no nonsense tone got them moving reluctantly, and Theo huffed a little at their immediate obedience to the tiny redhead, when they'd ignored his talks, arguments and pleas. Parvati smiled a little and patted him softly on his back before taking his hand in hers.

"Come on, let's get a seat. I hear Mrs. Weasley makes a great cake."

Draco smirked and opened his mouth, but Pansy cut him off with an elbow to the ribs. He scowled at her, but shut his mouth around the comment he'd been about to make. They all then moved to one table and sat down. When no one spoke, Ginny sighed heavily and turned to leave. She'd only gotten a few steps away though when Hermione saw them and made her way over.

"Hey guys!" she smiled brightly. "I haven't been able to talk to you yet. This is so great. I can't believe you all planned all of this. Thank you so much."

Pansy beamed, "There's more. But, I'm glad you like it so far."

"What more could there be?" Hermione asked.

Greg, who'd noticed the last arrivals, stood to be closer to her for a moment as he answered, "Well, there's lots, Hermione. And, there's the next one."

She turned her head to follow the line of his finger and squealed in joy. Without a thought to embarrassment, she took off at a run and launched herself into their waiting arms.

"Mum! Daddy!"

"Angel!" her mother answered as she held her daughter tightly. Both women had happy tears sliding down their faces.

"Happy birthday, Worm," her father said as he too pulled her in for a hug.

They exchanged quick greetings as everyone watched. It had been quiet as everyone felt the love flow between the Grangers, but the silence was broken when Greg said more loudly than he'd meant to, "Worm?"

Those who knew about her father's endearment laughed, but most of her classmates simply looked on in askance. Hermione reddened a little as she pulled back from her parents and looked out at them. "Great. Thanks, Dad."

Ron laughed, "Cat's out of the bag, now, Hermione."

Harry joined him, "It's short for bookworm."

"Guys!" Hermione admonished with a grin.

"Not like it's that much of a shock, Hermione," Ginny giggled.

Hermione rolled her eyes good-naturedly and laughed along with them. Parvati watched Hermione's eyes glance quickly over at Draco and then away as her back straightened a little more. Glancing at Draco, Parvati saw his smirk and wondered how long before he took advantage of the new nickname. She looked back at Hermione and saw her pulling her parents down the back steps and into the yard as she began introductions.

Parvati also noticed that Hermione avoided the Slytherin table as long as possible, but eventually dragged her feet to them. She held her breath as they all stood and greeted Hermione and her family.

xxxxxx


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 14**

Draco had watched Hermione and her parents as they trekked from table to table laughing with each group. He noticed the easy handshakes and light hugs given to his fellow students and wondered with a swallow what would happen when her family reached their table. He wasn't sure how much her parents knew about the war, their previous years together, or his family's part in it all, but he was fairly sure if Hermione had ever spoken of him, it wouldn't have been good. He got lost in his thoughts of ways to escape the introductions and before he knew it they were in front of him. He stood when his friends did and prepared himself for whatever was about to happen.

"Um, these are my parents, Jean and Herb Granger. Mom, Dad, this is Pansy."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," she answered softly, her cheeks red and her breathing shallow.

"And, what house are you in, Pansy?" Hermione's mother asked with a smile.

"Um, Slytherin, Ma'am," Pansy whispered, as if ashamed to admit it. Then her shoulders fell a bit as she rambled, "We all are. Well, except for Parvati, but I'm sure you already know that."

Her father actually stepped back a bit from them when he asked his daughter, "Isn't that the house that…"

Hermione talked hurriedly over him, "And, this is Greg, Theo, you know Parvati, Millie, and uh Malf…um, I mean, Draco."

The Grangers had nodded stiffly to each as they were introduced. But, when she said Draco's name, both of their forced smiles fell and their backs stiffened even more. In the hostile short silence, Draco cleared his throat and lifted his chin.

But, his voice was low and sincere when he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you. "You've raised quite a young witch, uh, woman."

Her mother's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in confusion as she looked at him, but her intense dislike was clear. Draco noticed with an inner grin that she looked a lot like her daughter and even had the same smattering of freckles across her nose. Heck, she even looked at him the same way. Although, Hermione had stopped looking at him like that a while ago, he reminded himself. Her father, while not as similar to his daughter in appearance, had her personality and looked down his nose at Draco. And, he wondered once again how much they actually had heard about him. He stopped himself from stepping back from the bigger man's anger and kept his face impassive.

Herb Granger looked down at his daughter and demanded, "Am I correct in assuming that Malf is short for Malfoy?"

Hermione's father was a large man, his eyes level with Draco's, but his build more reminiscent of Greg's, and he looked quite formidable in his anger. Draco saw Hermione flinch at her father's tone as she gave a short nod and he braced himself.

Her father's mouth opened to let loose the string of things he'd always planned to say to the young jerk that had made his daughter's school days a misery, if he ever had the chance. But, before he got out the first word, Hermione jumped in again.

She pulled on his arm, "Uh, Dad, why don't we go get a drink?"

He wouldn't budge as he stared the younger man down, "Not until I say a few things to this…"

"Herbert!" her mother interrupted quietly. "Let's go."

He looked ready to argue and Draco wondered briefly if her father was about to start swinging. Finally, with a grunt and one last look of intense dislike at Draco, he allowed his wife to pull him away. As everyone around them relaxed back into quiet, nervous conversation, Hermione hovered between leaving and staying as she looked at the retreating backs of her parents. Finally, she turned to look up at Draco.

He kept his face blank and waited for her to speak. When she did, his tense jaw slackened in shock.

"I…I'm sorry about that, Malf…Dra…um…they only know about you from what they've heard from, well from people, or stuff they read in _The_ _Prophet_. And, of course, they know what happened during the war at your…the Manor last year. And, they…well…um…I'm sorry. I haven't had a chance to really talk to them about things this year, so I…I'll…I'll talk to them."

Before he could respond, she was gone. He stared after her in awe for a moment longer before he quickly excused himself from his friends, and the stares he was receiving, and went towards the house. He didn't stop until he reached the front steps. Closing his eyes he took several calming breaths and wondered for the millionth time how he'd let Pansy talk him into coming for the day. He thought back to the conversation from a few days ago in the Slytherin common room, as he stared unseeing at the fields in front of him.

_"But, you have to come," she whined. "It's her birthday!"_

"Exactly, Pans," he sighed. "She wouldn't want me there marring her day."

Pansy got up and put her hands on her hips, "How many times do I have to tell you? She doesn't hate you any more, Draco. I promise. She actually lik…uh, she…look, you have to come!"

Draco shook his head, "Give me one good reason?"

"Well, she…I…well, I'll be there, too, and Theo and Greg. Even Millie's going. It'll be fun. And, we get to get out of here for a while. And, just think of all the new things we'll get to see and do. Come on Draco, please say you'll go."

As much as he wanted to go, to spend time with Hermione and get to know her a little more, as well as to do some of things the group had planned, he couldn't suppress a shudder at another thought, "The Burrow? Weasleyland, Pans? Yeah, I'm sure they just can't wait to have a Malfoy share cake with them."

"Ginny said she'd take care of her family. They won't bother you," she answered.

When he didn't answer right away she sat back down next to him came to a decision. In barely a whisper, she confessed, "Hermione would want you there."

His snort was her answer, even as his eyes flew to hers in question. "Yeah, right. She barely stands my presence most days. She doesn't even talk to me unless it's about class."

"Just trust me, okay? And, say you'll come with us," Pansy persisted.

He thought about it for a long moment before he finally relented, "Fine, I'll come. Happy?"

When she smiled and nodded he continued, "Just remember this when you're carefully planned day falls apart."  
  
Now, as he stood on the front porch of a home he had never thought to set foot in, he realized he'd never even considered her parents in the mix of things that could have gone wrong. He'd planned for the eventuality of the Weasleys' hatred. He'd prepared himself to be strong and silent and accept whatever rudeness they'd heap on him, but he hadn't thought about how he'd feel when faced with the parents of the brave witch he'd come to not only admire, but like more than he could say.

When he saw the look on her father's face at the mention of his name he'd been reminded of her face each time she'd looked at him prior to the war. Her father's held the same mix of dislike, pain, disappointment and anger. Draco had immediately wanted to apologize for every wrong he'd done her, but found his tongue tied. A part of him almost wished the man had hit him, knocked him out cold, so he wouldn't have to face their contempt any longer.

But, then she'd apologized to him for them and their actions. She'd tried to make him feel better. "I'll talk to them," she'd said. What would she say? It was all true, wasn't it? They had good reason to hate the very ground he stood on, as he'd been not only her mental tormentor for most of their years, but also one of the family members responsible for many of her physical sufferings throughout the years. The more he'd read about her each night, the more he realized how much he had missed in his prejudice and misplaced hatred. She was a strong girl who had taken far more than her fair share of bumps, bruises and near-death experiences as a child. And, she'd grown into an amazing young woman who had faced death more than once but still somehow maintained her spirit and hope. She was awe inspiring. She was a true friend to those she loved and trusted and a good acquaintance to everyone else.

A small smiled played around his lips as he realized he wanted very much to earn that friendship from her, have that trust, that lo…no, none of that yet. He needed to start slow. He needed a plan. He needed to figure out how to go about getting her to see him less as "Malfoy" and more as "Draco." He very badly wanted to hear her say his name without stuttering.

"Draco?" a quiet voice interrupted his musings.

His head snapped around to see Ginny Weasley leaning against the door of her home, looking at him pensively. Since the beginning of the year, she had watched him, but said little. As he'd watched her befriend Pansy, Theo, Greg, and even Millicent, he also noticed that she'd stayed away from him, except to stare at him every once in a while. He often wondered what the normally fiery young woman thought of him as she looked at him like an extremely confusing puzzle piece, but hadn't dared ask.

He straightened and crossed his arms across his chest, "Yes?"

She looked as if she had something to say, but stopped herself. Then she pushed away from the door, "Mom's ready to serve the cake. You should come on out back."

"Actually, I was thinking I should go back," he muttered and looked back out over the field. Then, more to himself than her, he sighed, "I don't belong here."

She seemed to struggle for the right thing to say and then leaned back against the doorjamb again. "Well, you're here now, so you might as well have cake."

Again, he spoke more to himself, "She doesn't deserve to have me ruin this birthday, too."

This time Ginny stepped away from the door to look up into his face for a long moment, "Hermione wants you here. And, I think, you want to be here…with her. So, stop the self-pity party, and come rejoin the real one."

When he just looked at her, she added, "Besides, if Pansy's right, then you need to start somewhere with her parents, don't you? To get what you want in the end you might as well start now."

With that she turned and left him standing with his mouth gaped open. Finally, he decided she was right, and straightened his spine and went back to the party. When he came around the side of the house, his eyes immediately found Hermione's across the lawn. He tensed for a moment, but then relaxed when he watched a small smile bloom on her blushing face before she looked away. _Maybe she DID want him there._ Just as a matching smile began to form on his face, he looked over her shoulder into the face of her father. The older man grimaced and looked away, and Draco knew she had done what she'd promised. She had defended him being there to her parents. That knowledge lightened his feet as he forced them across the lawn to the table with his friends.

Just as he sat, Molly Weasley called out from the house and the back door opened for them all to see a high stack of huge books, sitting precariously on one shelf, floating out at them. Mrs. Weasley followed behind, her wand keeping the pile afloat. When she'd navigated the steps and began the short trek to Hermione's table, candles burst out on top of the pile and they finally understood it was the cake. Gasps of shock filled the air, applause broke out, and mouths watered as they stared at her creation. Mrs. Weasley smiled and preened at their appreciation and then beckoned everyone close to sing to the birthday girl. The students quickly crowded around eager for a piece of the cake to finish off their light lunch.

Draco's eyes went from the cake to Hermione's face and he laughed at the look of shock and hunger on it. He wondered if it was for the cake or the general idea of the large books. He didn't get to ponder it too long though, as he was bumped from behind by his friends as they hurried forward to get a piece of what had proved to be an eight layer cake, with alternating chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry layers. After Mr. Weasley floated out large crocks of ice cream everyone settled in to enjoy the treats.

A short while later, Molly made her way around the tables, as she gathered empty plates, utensils, and cups. She graciously accepted praise on her cake and thanked everyone as she went. Only when she approached the table of mostly Slytherin students did her smile falter and her shoulders stiffen defensively.

They all sat still as she bustled around the table quickly. None of them raised their heads to acknowledge her, each looking more uncomfortable than the last. Draco finally cleared his throat twice before he broke the awkward silence that engulfed their table. "That was delicious Mrs. Weasley. Thank you."

His voice penetrated her conscious before his words did and she dropped the huge pile she had gathered as her wand slid into her hand from her sleeve. Thankfully, she quickly understood what he'd said and her hand stayed by her side as she stopped all movement and stared at him in shock.

Pansy stood slowly and her voice shook as she whispered, "It was amazing. I, er, had two pieces."

When Molly turned her head to stare at her, Pansy sat down with a plunk and lowered her head. Theo shook his head slightly and said with forced gaiety, "Simply perfect, Mrs. Weasley. Um, can we help you with those?"

"What? Huh?" Molly asked in obvious confusion. When she saw where Theo pointed, and glanced around to see everyone watching them, she reddened and flicked her wand at the messy pile.

"No! I mean, no thank you, that won't be necessary. And, uh, thank you for the compliments. I am glad you liked the cake." She backed away as if afraid to take her eyes off of them, and her eyes darted from one face to the next.

Draco looked around and saw Hermione's parents watching the scene with their heads close together as they whispered back and forth. He remembered Ginny's earlier words and decided she was right. Maybe he could show Hermione's parents that he wasn't the same bloke they'd heard about. At least not anymore.

Molly gasped and spun in a quick circle when the pile was magically pulled from her, but stayed afloat. She froze when her eyes landed on Draco and his wand.

"Malf…" she began.

He smiled a little, though it pained him to do so, and cut her off, "It's the least we can do, help you clean up, I mean. You did invite everyone and do all the cooking and stuff. You haven't even had any of your own cake. Pansy, can you get the door? This pile is a bit on the heavy side."

Before Pansy could move, Hermione's voice rang out from a table over as she got up and hurried towards him, "I'll get it."

He turned his head to look down at her and found that her smile could have lit the entire Hogwarts castle.

"Thank you."

The rest of the party guests seemed frozen for a long moment, until Millicent's gruff voice broke the tension. "Well, come on then. We'll be late for the next thing if we don't get this mess cleaned up."

As one the guest began talking again as they moved around and collected the rest of the things from the tables. Most did it by hand so as to have an excuse to talk about what had happened. In only a few minutes the entire backyard had been cleaned and the tables and chairs stacked neatly against the back of the house.

Molly Weasley still stood in the same spot she had been in when the activity had begun. She jumped a little when Jean Granger's hand fell on her arm.

"Interesting," she said softly. "He was actually very polite."

Molly nodded and relaxed a bit, "Ginny told us he's changed quite a bit after all their doings and sufferings, and that we should…but, I can't forget he's a Malfoy. And, they…I'm sorry, I shouldn't be going on like this. It's our girl's birthday."

"Well, Hermione sure gave her father and me an earful for our reaction to seeing him here. Makes me wonder…I mean, what's he doing here? And, why does my little girl seem okay with it? Heck, more than okay with it? After all that family has done to her, to all of them…"

"I shudder to think," Molly sighed. "You don't think they're, I mean, they can't be, you know, friendly, can they?"

Jean looked at Molly for a long while, as several emotions moved across her expressive face. In many ways Molly had helped raise Hermione as much as any family member could've. For the past eight years, whenever Jean had had questions, concerns, or fears, it had been Molly who'd helped her through them. Every time her daughter had been hurt or in danger, it was Molly who'd kept them up to date and allayed their fears. It had taken Hermione until her fourth year to realize that hiding things from her and Herb wasn't working. She'd finally come around to talking to them, at least in her letters, about the truth of what was going on in her young life.

Then, when they'd returned to London, memories restored by their sobbing, apologetic daughter, it had been the Weasleys to whom they turned for support. Jean knew that no sister could have been closer to her than Molly was and she knew no other mother could love someone else's daughter more. It had long been a hope between them that Ron and Hermione would finally settle together, and for a while it had looked like they would get their wish. When things fell apart for the two of them, Molly and Jean had turned to one another in their sadness.

Now, faced with this newest obstacle, she wondered what worried Molly most; that Draco Malfoy had indeed changed and they might have to swallow their hatred of him for Hermione's sake. Or, that he hadn't and they would have to watch Hermione's tender heart get crushed by the sneaky Slytherin young man.

Finally, she shook her head, "I have no idea. I mean, Hermione's always had a good head on her shoulders, but she forgives too easily sometimes. She tends to look for the good in people. You said Ginny thinks he's changed; Hermione said the same to us. Maybe, he has and they've…I don't know. This is a lot to process in only an hour."

Molly nodded and sighed, "Well, at least for the today we can keep an eye on them and see what's going on with them."

Jean nodded in agreement and the two women parted to gather the group for the next surprise.

xxxxxx

"But, Draco, this muggle day was you're idea!" Theo said in surprise when his blonde friend balked at leaving the Leaky Cauldron a while later.

The entire group had apparated to the pub, the Grangers in tow, and were preparing to head into muggle London. Hermione's shocked laugh when they all pulled out jeans, shorts and shirts from their bags had relaxed the last of the tension from the group. Most had never been outside of the magical world, though they'd all read about it or seen it on television. The excitement to see the muggle world, and be challenged to be wandless and not use magic for the remainder of the day, had most of them giddy with laughter and challenge.

The only one filled with trepidation was Draco, as he'd just realized he would be without the use of magic and in a world he'd only read about. He would have to rely on his limited knowledge, and the help of others to get him through the rest of the day. The thought of having to lean on people who barely tolerated his existence made his stomach roll.

He looked around the chattering group and saw Hermione smiling widely at everyone as her parents tried to get her attention. Shoving his hands in his pockets he sighed, "What if we do something really stupid, Theo?" Then he lowered his voice, "What if I, um, I mean, oh hell, what if I embarrass her?"

Theo smiled, "We won't. You won't. We've planned everything out. And, everyone knows what to do and not to do. No worries, mate."

"But…" Draco began.

"And, if you don't know what to do," Theo said as he interrupted with a sly grin, "you can always ask Hermione for help. I'm sure she won't mind."

Automatically, Draco's eyes sought her, and then he turned back to his smirking friend. But, before he could respond The Grangers opened the front door and shouted out that the coast was clear. Without another word he was left standing alone as everyone began to file out of the dark pub. As he watched the last few people go through the door, Draco examined his options. He could simply stay and then go back to school. He was pretty sure few would miss him, and then he wouldn't risk embarrassing himself or angering her family any more then he already had. But, if he didn't go, would she notice? Would that make him look more like a coward than everyone already knew him to be? Would she think he…

"We've got the taxis out front. Are you coming?" a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

Draco's head shot up and he looked into Hermione's eyes in an older face. He searched her face desperately for some sign of what he should do. From the way she looked at him, he felt like Jean Granger could read his mind, and he wondered what she was thinking and seeing. When he just stood there unsure of what to say or do, she tilted her head a bit and seemed to come to a decision. With a small nod to herself, she lifted her hand toward him and beckoned him forward with a tiny knowing smile on her face. Then, Draco saw the thing that made his decision for him; the same colors shone in her hair that he often noticed in Hermione's and he was drawn to them. Without him giving them permission, his feet carried him across the floor to her; his thanks shining in his eyes, his bag clutched tightly in his fist.

xxxxxx

Herb Granger leaned against his taxi and watched the bustle of activity around him as the students and Weasley family members crammed bags into the boots of the long line of cars. He, his wife, Molly and Arthur Weasley were sharing one car and the three were waiting for all of the students to get into cars and then for Jean to join them. Herb smiled as Molly surreptitiously shot a shrinking charm at the bags of the car in front of them and the startled driver was suddenly able to shut the boot. All four students glanced nervously around to see who had done it, but quickly shrugged it off and clambered into the car.

"Almost ready," Arthur said to no one in particular, as he scanned the group for any signs of trouble. Then he sniffed and shook his head slightly, "At least that Nott bloke seems decent enough."

Herb turned toward the car two behind them and saw the slender man assist his girlfriend into the car before getting in himself. When the much larger, dark haired Slytherin young man got in the front seat, Herb knew who they were saving a seat for and turned back to the doors of the pub. When he saw the blonde step out of the pub in front of Jean he felt his shoulders bunch and his fists clench.

Herb's eyes narrowed as the young man blinked at the bright sunlight while his eyes adjusted from the darkness of the pub. While Draco just stood there for a moment and looked around at everyone, Herb noticed the indecision in his eyes and the wariness in his stance. He watched Jean step up and point Draco in the direction of the car with his friends and saw Draco nod his thanks. Jean turned away to help the students in a car ahead and Draco straightened his shoulders, cleared his face and started the walk to the end of the line of cars.

It wasn't until Draco drew nearer to Herb and the Weasleys that his steps slowed. Herb saw that Draco struggled to not look their way as he past them, and he watched the young man's steps pick up in pace after he'd passed their car. As he stared at the back of the person whose name represented to him all things evil, but whom in person seemed nothing more than a lost, nervous, young man, he once again heard Hermione's words from earlier.

_Her face was red as she whispered fiercely, "But, Daddy, it happened to me! If I can get past it enough to give him a chance, why can't you?! This year we've…"_

"Because he hurt you. He and his evil, criminal lowlife scum of a family hurt MY DAUGHTER!" Herb hissed back. "How can you even think of…"

"Everything's different this year. We've all been hurt. We've all changed, and he's…"

"A leopard doesn't change his spots, Hermione!"

"Herb, let her talk," Jean said as she placed a hand on her husband's arm.

"Fine! Tell me why I should have to spend the day biting my tongue around that little shit!"

Hermione looked near tears, but he wouldn't let them get to him. His child had been hurt repeatedly by the boy she was for unknown reasons defending and he didn't like it.

"Well, he…I…that is the whole school is trying to come together. We are trying to get over the things that happened. Remember, I wrote you about each of us having counselors. Everyone's changed. Even Dra…Malf…him. And, he's trying Daddy. He's not the same this year. He lost a lot because of the things he and his family did. And, he's…I don't know how to explain it, but…just please Daddy, for me, just for today, leave him be."

"Hermione?" Jean said slowly. "Is there, uh, something else you want to tell us?"

Herb saw his daughter's face redden further even as she shook her head in denial and he finally understood, "I forbid it!"

Both women jumped at the force in his voice and Hermione gasped, "Forbid what?"

"You will not show interest in that foul, loathsome, evil, little git!"

His outburst, so like hers years earlier, made Hermione smile at him for a bit before she seemed to remember herself and flushed, "Uh, no. Daddy, I don't…I mean, we aren't…well, I…"

Jean stepped closer to Hermione and interrupted, "Honey, we'll talk about it later. Neither Daddy nor I will say anything to him…"

"Speak for yourself!" Herb huffed.

But, Jean continued over him, "…if that is what you want. But, we will discuss this further later."

Hermione nodded in agreement and hugged them both. When she'd walked away he had turned to his wife incredulously, "Do you honestly think I am going to stand by and…"

Her hands on her hips she turned to him, "Yes, you will! Our daughter asked you to do her a favor on her birthday, and you are going to do it!"

"But, Jean…" he began to whine.

"No, buts! We'll watch and see. We will try to see what she seems to see in him. Because, as much as you might not like hearing it, and she won't admit yet, Hermione has a crush on him."

"She does not! She wouldn't…not after all he…No!"

Jean sighed as she stepped forward to comfort her husband, "They seem to have all the same friends. Even Harry, Ron and Ginny aren't objecting to him being here. He's skinny, but cute, has suffered a lot this past year, and seems to have reformed. Think about it. You know our daughter. What would draw her in more?"  
  
Herb's eyes refocused when Jean said his name and he realized he'd been staring off into space. Shaking himself he climbed into the taxi and wondered what else the day would hold.

xxxxxx


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

After a short drive the group was deposited at the London Eye. While the students were rushed into the long line by Bill and Molly Weasley, Hermione's parents paid for the cars and arranged for them to return in two hours to pick them up again. The students chatted about the sites they'd seen on their drive and asked each other about things that were unfamiliar. Hermione was in her element as she told them about the castle they'd passed, what Big Ben was, and how cars worked. What seemed to surprise those of them that had never seen it before was how not different it all was. The fact that nothing untoward had happened seemed to relax them all enough to really have fun, and they talked excitedly about seeing it all from the top of the large Ferris wheel.

Greg stood near the back of the group and listened to Harry's explanations with half an ear, as he watched Draco watch Hermione. He hadn't really gotten over her himself, but he knew she wasn't interested. It made Greg like her even more when she'd not avoided him, but instead continued to make him feel welcome, while she made it clear they would be nothing more than friends. Also, regardless of what people thought, he didn't feel like he was stepping aside for Draco. He could tell that was where her interests lay, and Greg was in his mind, stepping aside for her.

There was a bit of confusion as each person paid the Grangers for the ride because most of them had never used muggle money. And, even with the lessons they'd had in class, they still felt it was all very confusing. Greg helped Draco and Pansy quietly count out the right number of bills and went to pay for the three of them. Pansy was still too ashamed to look them in the eye, and Draco had flat out refused to approach them.

After a lot of good-natured teasing amongst the large group, each person had paid, and moved to the queue. They were going to have two cars to themselves, as there were thirty of them and each car only held twenty-five people, and they began to form two groups.

The Weasley family took eight spots and, as Ginny wouldn't let go of Harry's hand, there was only space left for six more. Greg laughed out loud when Pansy quickly pulled Millicent into the group of redheads and he saw her move close to Ron. Knowing Draco wouldn't want to spend the next half hour with the Weasley family, or Harry, he moved with his friend into the other group. Greg smiled to himself when he realized that the Grangers would be the parental eye in their car, which meant Hermione would be with him. He glanced over to see Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Luna join the other group and then sought out Hermione in the large group around him.

Greg's gaze fell on Draco first though and he saw him staring under his lashes at Hermione and her mother as they chatted happily in the front of the queue. His friend's pale face was blank, and Greg wondered what was going through his mind.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, so no one around them would hear.

Draco nodded once, and seemed content to end it there. But, then he glanced over at Greg and whispered conspiratorially, "She defended me to her parents earlier."

Greg raised an eyebrow in question and Draco continued, "I don't know why or what she said to them, but she did it. Her mother was even kind of nice to me afterward. And, her father hasn't come near me, but he's stopped looking like he wants to pummel me into the ground."

Greg looked forward again and saw Herb Granger pull his laughing daughter close for a hug. "You think our families will ever be like that?"

Draco shook his head, "Not mine. Mother doesn't really touch anyone all that much. And, the rest of her family…well, I don't know."

"Your cousin Tonks seems like that. Like she'd hug you, I mean. Is her mum like that, too?" Greg asked.

Draco shrugged, "Don't know. I don't really know her. Although, I did see her hug Mother when they reunited a few days before I came back to school. I stayed in my room for most of her visit though, so I don't know."

"So, she told them to lay off?" Greg asked.

"Who?"

"Hermione. She told her parents to leave you alone?"

"Dunno."

They were quiet for a moment before Greg sighed, "You really like her don't you? It'd not just some…"

Draco cut him off with a shake of his head. He didn't answer out loud, but Greg knew the truth of it.

His voice was low and soft, and Greg could hear the awe in it as Draco confessed, "I don't know why. I can't figure out when, even. But, she's gotten to me. I can't explain how, but it's different this time."

"Well, then," Greg began as the queue started to move, "I'll wish you luck, and be there for you in any way I can."

Draco looked over at his friend's earnest, but sad face and knew what it cost him to say those words. A part of him wanted to step back and tell Greg to go for it himself, just to not risk their friendship. However, the greater part of him wanted to see what, if anything, could happen between Hermione and himself. So, he simply nodded his thanks and stepped forward with the rest of the group.

xxxxx

"Just walk around and look out of the dumb windows like the rest of the group," Millicent snarled at Pansy. "Stop trying to hide and just act like everything is normal, stupid!"

"But, she won't stop glaring at me," Pansy whined.

Only five minutes into the ride and Pansy was near tears. Ron had paid no attention to her whatsoever and she and Millicent were the only Slytherin students in the car. Actually, except for Luna, they were the only non-Gryffindors. To make matters worse, Ginny was snuggled up against a window with Harry, paying Pansy no mind, and Molly Weasley had not taken her eyes off of her or Millicent since she'd realized they were in her car.

"Let her stare! It's not like we can do anything from this stupid bubble!" Millicent sighed heavily and moved toward another window. She then rose up on her toes to get a better look and said to no one in particular, "What a waste of money. Muggles are dumb. Is that the castle we rode by on the way here?"

Pansy followed her pointed finger, smiled a little at Millie's attempt to not show her excitement and then nodded. But, Pasy wasn't as interested in the sights of London as she was in the sight of Ron. Turning her head she saw him pointing out some things to Dean and Seamus across the car. She thought of just joining them, it was supposed to be a partially educational trip after all, but before she could take a step, she saw Molly Weasley again out of the corner of her eye.

With a sigh, she turned away from Ron and back toward the window. Millie wasn't aware of her feelings for Ron, and Pansy wasn't ready to talk about it with her. She was upset that Ron's parents hadn't immediately accepted her and she wanted advice on what to do.

"I feel like I've done something wrong with the way she keeps watching us," she said instead.

"Screw her," Millie answered with a snort. Then again on her toes, she added, "Why would anyone ever want to see that far? It's like we can see all the way to Hogwarts from here!"

Giggling a little, Pansy said, "Won't be too much longer and we'll be out of here, Millie."

"Good!" Millie grunted and moved to another window, this one overlooking the water.

"Um, I'm going to go ask Ginny a question, uh, about the assignment, okay? Be right back." Before Millie could answer, Pansy darted past Bill and Fleur Weasley and went over to Harry and Ginny.

"Hey guys," she said as she came up behind them.

Harry turned and nodded his hello, but Ginny pulled away and smiled, "Isn't this great?! You can see everything from here!"

Pansy nodded, but Harry added, "Kind of like flying without a broom."

When Pansy predictably wrinkled her nose at the thought of broom flight, they all laughed. Harry leaned back against the window and crossed his arms across his chest.

"So, what do you think of it, Pansy?"

She shrugged and glanced out of the window. They were a bit higher than the last time she had really looked and she took an involuntary step back. "We're getting kind of high aren't we?"

Ginny wound her arm through Pansy's and laughed, "We're not even halfway, Pans. Wait until you see everything from the top!"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Pansy tried to look like she didn't hate the thought.

"Hey, guys!" Ron said as he joined them. "Isn't this cool? Like flying without a broom!"

Harry and Ginny guffawed and Pansy giggled at his comment. Then, while Harry explained what they were laughing at Luna, Lavender, Seamus, and Dean joined them.

"Well, one thing's for sure, I don't like heights!" Lavender said as she moved closer to Seamus and hung on his arm. She'd spent most of the day hanging on him, in an effort to make Ron, who hadn't noticed, jealous. Seamus didn't seem to notice either as he continued his side conversation with Dean.

Luna looked over at Harry and asked, "So, is this the kind of thing you guys did growing up?"

Harry shook his head, "Not me. Hermione, maybe. Her parents took her to all kinds of places over the summers. I did get to a zoo once when I was younger though."

"Ooh, I wouldn't set foot in one of those places; they're full of stremefees and peedoows," Luna announced with a shudder.

Pansy opened her mouth to ask what those things were, but Ginny stopped her with a quick shake of her head.

"So," Dean asked, as he and Seamus joined the conversation, "after this we go bowling, right?"

"Right," Ginny answered. "I think everyone will love that!"

Dean nodded, "But, I still say we should set it up girls against boys."

"Not again, Dean," Harry answered. "We agreed that drawing names was best."

"How about you, me, Hermione, and Ginny against everyone else?" he tried again.

"I had no idea Gryffindors were so competitive," Millie said as she joined them.

Ron shrugged, but then looked at Dean, "And, what about me?"

"No offense, but Hermione told us how you bowl. I'm not having my average taken down because you can't hit two pins." Dean sniffed.

Lavender sighed, "Oh shut it, Dean. It's not like this counts or anything. It's just for fun, remember?"

Dean huffed, "Well, for some of us it's practice."

Millie tilted her head at him, "You play this all the time, do you?"

"During the summers, yeah. At home, I'm on a league and I have a 215 average," he answered proudly.

Pansy shifted closer to Ron as she asked, "How do you keep up your game all year at school?"

"Well, it was hard at first, but once I knew about the Room of Requirement, it wasn't so tough," he winked at her.

Everyone laughed except Millie who huffed, "What's this room, then? Some kind of dumb Gryffindor hangout?"

"I would think some of you would be more careful about insulting houses, considering the company you currently have!" Molly's voice interrupted them.

Several people jumped at the suddenness and shrillness of her voice, and Pansy moved a step away from Ron.

Ginny put her hands on her hips, imitating Molly's stance, "Mom, she didn't mean it like that."

"Well, it certainly sounded like an insult to me. And, let me tell you, I won't tolera…"

"Mom!" Ron stopped her. "Leave her alone."

"Ronald Weasley I am simply doing what was asked of me. I was told to keep an eye on everyone and make sure there was no trouble from anyone!" She looked from him to Pansy and then Millicent as she spoke. "And, it sounded to me like trouble was just about to…"

Ginny stepped forward, "We were talking about the teams for bowling later, Mom. No one was planning world domination."

Molly's face reddened, "Don't you sass me, young lady!" Then she sneered, "I heard that little Slytherin…"

Pansy's gasp at the hatred behind the name of her house brought Molly's attention to her. "And, you! How you can show your face after what you did last year, I'll nev…"

Pansy's face lost all color, but the twin shouts of, "Mom!" along with Harry's, "Mrs. Weasley!" stopped her tirade.

Harry stepped up as if to speak, but was stopped by Ron's voice, "I can't believe you! You owe Pansy an apology!"

"I owe her what?!" Molly squeaked in her outrage. She had held her tongue for the past couple of hours as people who'd threatened, belittled, taunted, and harassed her family had waltzed into her home as if they belonged there. Then, she'd had to serve them her food and treat them like they deserved anything but her disdain. She had been seething with anger for more than a week at the thought of them being there. The thought that Ginny felt any of them deserved a second chance was beyond Molly's understanding. Then, to find out that her precious Hermione had gotten somehow twisted up with the likes of a Malfoy had set her over the edge. After that she'd simply been waiting for one of them to slip up so she could get rid of every last one of them.

She was so wrapped up in her righteous indignation that it was a few seconds before the quiet around her filtered through. Then the sound of a sniffle brought her attention to Pansy once more. The girl looked like she'd been slapped; her face a glassy white with bright red blotches on her cheeks under her red-rimmed eyes. The mother in her wanted to make the girl in front of her feel better, but the mother who'd fought for her children's lives as the same girl had cowardly tried to get Harry captured was stronger.

Instead, she crossed her arms and huffed, "Well, I am sorry if the truth hurts."

Bill and Arthur had come upon the conversation near the end. Bill stepped into the small group and admonished his mother with a shake of his head, "Mother, I think you and Dad should go make sure Fred and George aren't getting into any trouble over there."

When Arthur took Molly's arm and drew her away from the group, Bill turned to look down at Pansy, "I'm really sorry, Ms. Parkinson. My mother often speaks without thinking."

"No, I'm sure she…" Pansy trailed off miserably. She didn't want to cry in front of everyone, but there was nowhere to go and everyone was staring at her in sympathy. "It's okay."

Ginny huffed, "No, it's not. I'm so sorry, Pans. I talked to her last week and she said she would keep her thoughts to herself!"

"No, Ginny, don't be upset with her. She…well, I…it did happen didn't it?" Pansy sniffled. "I just didn't think about how she'd…"

Ginny's glance at Ron was Pansy's undoing and the tears started to fall.

"Oi! What's with the waterworks, Parkinson?! What do you care what she thinks anyway?" Millicent asked in a low huff.

Pansy sniffled and tried to hold back her tears as she shrugged. But, then Ron reached out and grabbed some napkins from the sidebar and handed them to her. When she looked up to say thank you she saw the sympathy on his face and a sob escaped.

"Aw, stop, okay?" he implored. "She didn't…well, she'll feel bad about it soon and then, she'll…maybe…um, just don't let her get to you, okay?"

Torn between embarrassment and appreciation for his words and actions, she could only think of throwing herself into his arms. But, as that would only add to the horror of the past few minutes, she simply sniffed back her remaining tears and nodded.

"I'll be fine. I'm sorry to mess things up for everyone," she whispered.

"You did not mess up anyzing!" Bill's wife Fleur exclaimed as she stepped forward. She put her slender arm around Pansy's shoulders, "Dere dere, no more crying. Molly often doesn't zink about how vat her vords can do. She only zink about last year and how she feel. Not about leetle girls and zeir fears. Harry, Ronald and Ginevra say you sorry, so you sorry. End of story! Now, stop wiz zhe tears and have your fun today."

Pansy couldn't have said what shocked her out of her state of upset more; the gorgeous woman's looks, accent, or words, but she found herself smiling dazedly at the slender blonde next to her.

"Um, okay," she whispered in awe.

"Good, good," Fleur answered with a brilliant smile.

Bill stepped up and took his wife's hand, "Thank you. Now, how about we leave these kids alone?"

She nodded and stepped away, but not before giving Pansy's hand a light squeeze.

Pansy turned to look at her friends, both old and new, and saw a wide variety of facial expressions. Most of the guys were looking at the floor or out of the windows, as they avoided making eye contact. Ron, Seamus and Dean had actually backed away from them to go stand near the windows. Millie still looked mutinous; Lavender and Luna both looked sorrowful, but it was Ginny's face that startled Pansy enough to make her clear her throat to speak.

"Gin?"

The small grimace on Ginny's face vanished as she looked at Pansy, "Are you okay?"

"I guess," Pansy nodded and shrugged at the same time. "But, why did you look like you swallowed a lemon just then?"

Ginny looked startled for a moment before she let the grimace come back a bit, "Oh, sorry. I just hate the way she says my name with that little snarky accent! Jineeeevrah."

Everyone stood there for a long moment looking at Ginny. Then Pansy let out a little giggle, for some reason, Ginny not liking the way Fleur said her name became the funniest thing she'd heard in a while. And, in a matter of seconds, the others joined her, as they all released the last of the tension they'd been holding in.

xxxxx

The other car was the complete opposite in its level of joviality. Hermione practically bounced around the small car as she moved from group to group, answering questions and sharing her knowledge of her other world. Having her parents with her was a surprise and joy she couldn't, even with her vast vocabulary, have fully explained. The last birthday she had shared with them had been her eleventh. They had not been there, no matter that they'd wanted to be, for her sufferings on the ones that followed. Each year her birthdays had seemed small, painful, tedious, or just plain forgotten with all the angst with which she had lived.

She looked over to see her mother talking to Hannah, Neville, Wayne and Susan, and her father pointing out something to Theo, Parvati, Terry, Cho, Padma, and Michael, and she felt she could finally breathe. For the first time, in longer than she could recall, she was simply happy. There was no fear, no worry, no stress; just a day of joy and celebration.

She was so lost in her thoughts as she stared out over London and walked around the car, that she didn't feel the two people near her until she practically bumped into them.

"Oh! Sorry," she muttered and straightened. Then her lips quirked into a small smile of remembrance of their first day back to school, "It seems we can only meet by bumping into each other."

Greg's low laugh rumbled out, "Yeah, I guess we do."

"Having fun?" she asked them, her eyes sliding quickly over to Draco and then back to Greg.

"Oh yeah!" Greg nodded. "This contraption is actually very cool. It's like we can see the whole world from up here."

Hermione agreed, "When I was younger, my parents brought me here a couple of times, and I remember imagining I could even see Hogwarts from up here."

Then she turned her head and looked up at Draco directly, "Are you, um, enjoying it, too? The ride I mean."

He watched her cheeks grow a bit pink when he looked her in the eye, and smiled crookedly, "I am, Hermione. Thank you. And, I'm very glad to know you like the surprises so far."

Her eyes gleamed as she nodded, glanced up at him and then nervously looked away to Greg, "Oh, I have. I can't believe you all did this for me. I mean, you all planned the party, invited my parents, and now you're in a muggle ride. Wow! This is the best birthday surprise I have had since I was seven and got my horse!"

Greg teased, "Don't forget we've all given up magic for the day, too. We're at your mercy here in all this muggleness."

Her eyes widened as she realized the truth of it and her jaw dropped a bit. Without meaning to she turned to look up at Draco in awe, "You gave up magic for a day for me?"

A look she couldn't understand crossed his face before it was gone so quickly she was sure she'd imagined it. Then he shrugged, "It's not that big a deal. It's just…well it seemed the way to go."

Her voice was soft as she half-smiled, "It is to me."

When his lips quirked into a grin and his eyes seemed to search hers for something, she felt her cheeks grow warm again. Unsure of what to say she glanced away and stammered, "Well, uh, I should, er, see if my parents need anything."

Neither man spoke until she was on the other side of the car. Then Greg turned to look out of the large windows once more as he sighed, "Kind of extra cute when she's all flustered, huh?"

Draco answered, "Yeah," with his eyes still on her. Then he leaned back against the window and looked over at his friend, "You're really okay with me...and her…if it works?"

Greg nodded and glanced over at Draco, "I am. If you're what she wants, that's it then, isn't it? Just be good to her if it happens."

Draco nodded and looked back at Hermione to see her laughing with her mother, Theo and Parvati. Her mother stood next to her and their arms were comfortably around each other's waists. He wondered if she would ever be that at ease with him.

His stomach clenched around that thought and he said without thinking, "I don't want to screw anything up, Greg. Things are finally going along kind of well. I mean, we aren't the best of friends or anything yet, but it's…What if I mess up without meaning to? What if I somehow revert or something? She's so happy. I've never seen her so relaxed, not with me, at least. I don't want to ruin things when she's finally able to talk to me without nearly jumping out of her skin."

"Uh, Draco?" Greg whispered.

But, Draco was lost in his own head and kept talking, relieved in a way to finally get it out, "She's still jumpy, you know? Kind of scared to be around me sometimes. Not that I blame her, I gave her plenty of reason before. But, now…I don't know. I want her to be happy all the time now. It used to make me crazy, her laugh, but now I want to hear it. I just want her to…"

"Draco!" Greg said as he elbowed his friend in the side.

"What?!" Draco asked in shock at the bump and at being pulled from his thoughts.

"I think, Mr. Malfoy," a deep voice interrupted, "your friend is trying to tell you that I am standing behind you."

Draco looked over his shoulder and into the eyes of Hermione's father. He braced himself for the punch he figured was coming, even as he tried to speak.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry, Mr. Granger. I wasn't talking about her behind her back. I mean, I was, but I wasn't being…"

"Hmmm," Herb said as he watched what little color the young man had drain from his face. He had promised Hermione and Jean he would hold his tongue, and he would, mostly. That didn't mean he couldn't get in a little dig. "I was sent to gather everyone, as we will be leaving soon. Mr. Goyle, why don't you join the group?"

Herb wanted to smile at the abject fear he read in Draco's eyes, when he clasped him on the shoulder, pulled him closer, and continued, "Mr. Malfoy and I will be right along." It gave him a small thrill when Draco's Adam's apple bobbed convulsively and his eyes flew to his retreating friend.

From the across the car Herb wanted it to appear that he and Draco were simply having a friendly chat. So, even as he held his smile, he leaned in close to Draco and made sure he had the pale man's full attention before he said softly, "I heard what you said about my daughter. And, I heard what you didn't say. I will tell you this only once. You and that family of yours have hurt her for the last time. I don't care that you know all that evil, dark magic and I don't. We have friends who do. If you so much as make her frown, I promise you, you will live the remainder of your days wishing you hadn't. Are we clear?"

Draco swallowed and nodded, "Yes, sir." But, then he lifted his chin a bit as he looked her father in the eye and added, "I know you have only heard awful things about me and my family and I'm sure most are true. But, I…things change, I've changed. There is no use apologizing for the past and the things I have done to her, as I have done nothing to warrant your forgiveness. But, sir, I…if you heard me before then you know. I have no wish to hurt her. Not anymore."

Herb leaned back and saw several people looking in their direction. He had also seen in those pale eyes what he'd hoped not to see, the young man's honesty. He wasn't ready to let the boy off the hook, but he couldn't bring himself to hold onto his hatred either.

Finally, Herb stepped back and stared into Draco's eyes for a long moment. Then he turned with a sneer and said over his shoulder, "See that you don't!"

Draco nodded at the man's back and risked a glance at the rest of the group. Most were pretending to not have been watching, but a few stared back at him as he slowly moved across the car to join them. Greg, Theo and Parvati all held varying looks of concern. But, it was a set of large, warm, brown eyes that caught and held his. Hermione looked worried, relieved, and slightly hopeful. He smiled a bit when it dawned on him that all those emotions were for him.

His smile seemed to act as a sort of trigger for her though, because as soon as it graced his face, she flushed and turned away. Draco sighed and moved to stand between Greg and Theo as he tried to force himself to relax. He usually didn't have a lot of trouble hiding his emotions, but something about Hermione's father had scared him stiff and he just couldn't make himself breathe properly.

"Alright, I know you are all anxious to get to the next bit of the surprise," Jean Granger said from behind her husband's body. She was as small as her daughter, so Draco couldn't see her, although her voice carried quite clearly as she spoke. "When we get off, I want all of you to get back to the cars immediately. No lollygagging! We have quite the large group and I don't want to be responsible for losing anyone."

Then she stepped to the side and Draco found himself staring once again into the eyes of one of Hermione's parents. This time though, they didn't hold contempt. He didn't know what it was he saw in them, but he felt the knot in his chest loosen when she smiled.

"…and the Weasleys and the rest will meet us there. Okay?"

Everyone around him agreed, and Draco nodded, even though he had no clue what she had said.

"Alrighty, then. Here we go," she called out brightly and turned with a beckoning wave to lead the way to the waiting cars.

xxxxxx


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 16**

Pansy smiled and waved to Hermione and Ginny who sat a few lanes over from her. She wished she had been put in their group as hers was an odd mix. She'd somehow found herself on a team with Fleur and Bill Weasley and Draco. They played against Parvati, Theo, Lavender and Seamus. When she saw Ginny get up to take her turn, Pansy turned back to her own group and caught the end of Draco and Lavender's conversation.

"Her parents are dentists with their own practice, Malfoy," Lavender said as she tossed her hair irritably out of her way. "They can afford to pay for the cars!"

"I didn't mean…" he began only to be cut off by the irate woman.

"I know what you meant! You thought because she is muggleborn that she must also be poor. Well, let me tell you…"

"Hey! I just wondered how much it all must have cost is all!" he defended himself. "I wasn't attacking her or her family!"

"Yeah, right!" Lavender sniffed. She'd never been very close to Hermione, but the war had changed her just as it had everyone else. She didn't feel they would ever be true friends, but her loyalty was to her fellow Gryffindor and one of the three to save their world.

Pansy sighed as she stepped between them, "Draco, it's your turn." When he huffed and stepped up to bowl, she turned to Lavender and said softly, "Give him a break, will you?"

"Why should I?" Lavender persisted in a whisper. "It's not like he ever gave Hermione one! And, now what? We're all supposed to just forgive and forget? I don't think so! I know those guys think he's changed, fallen for his 'I'm so sorry' act, but I'm not buying it! He will show his true colors sooner or later, and I will be there to catch him!" With that she flounced off to the other side of the lane and plopped down heavily next to Seamus.

Pansy sighed and closed her eyes for a moment to rein in her anger. She reminded herself of Hermione's words a few weeks back. _People will come around or they won't. You can't control that._ With another heavy sigh, Pansy opened her eyes once more and found herself looking at Bill Weasley. He gave her a puzzled smile and she felt her cheeks go warm. Even with his scars, he was a handsome, roguish man. It didn't help that he reminded her quite a bit of Ron. When Pansy felt her neck starting to flush as well, she quickly turned away and took her seat once more.

Moments later Draco sat next to her and crossed his arms. She saw the lingering anger on his face and reached out to put her hand on his knee. "Don't let her get to you."

He snorted, "As if!" Then, one hand tunneled through his hair and he added, "I wasn't surprised by them having money, dammit! I was just shocked they would spend so much on one day, what with the party, the cars, the dinner and all."

"It's her birthday. Of course they would," Pansy said. "Ours would do the same."

"I guess," Draco conceded. Then sighed, "But, not for the same reasons."

Pansy looked at him and saw he was staring over at Hermione as she concentrated on her shot. Hermione took three steps and wiggled a little when she bowled and Pansy was amused to see Draco tilt his head for a better look.

"What do you mean?" she asked, pulling his attention back to her.

"Huh? Oh, um, well, they're doing it just for her, is all. I mean, they're tossing their money about just to make her happy. Ours would be tossing it about to make sure others knew how much they had."

Pansy nodded at his insight and looked around once more to find Ron. "True, but throwing money around doesn't mean you love someone. Look at the Weasleys."

"I try not to," Draco quipped. But, when she narrowed her dark blue eyes at him, he added, "Kidding, Pans."

"Uh huh," she said with a raised eyebrow, before she turned back to watch Ron bowl. Then she said softly, "I never knew you could physically feel love, Draco. Like a warm wind crossing your skin, you know? But, I feel it when I watch Hermione and her parents. I feel it when any of the Weasleys talk about or to each other. Even when Gin and Ron get into one of their shouting matches, you still know they love each other."

"You've known love, Pansy," Draco murmured softly. "Your parents…"

"Yes, I guess. But, it's not the same. It would've been nice to…you know."

Pansy looked at Draco and saw that he, too, watched the Weasleys interact with each other. She loved her new friendship with Ginny, but she hated the lump of jealousy that formed in her gut whenever she saw the way she and Ron teased and picked on each other. And, today, even when Mrs. Weasley had torn into Pansy, none of her children had cowered in fear. They'd stood up to her, never fearing the loss of her love. It amazed her.

Her entire life had been built around pleasing her parents. But, it had never been about love, so much as loyalty. She assumed her parents loved her, and she figured she loved them in a way. But, what mattered to them was obedience; quiet and unerring loyalty to the family and its ways. Only in finally getting to know people outside of their little world, had Pansy come to realize that love was about giving of one's self. It was about opening your heart and mind to someone and hoping they didn't smash them to bits.

She'd never before known there were so many different ways to love, but she was learning. Then she smiled to herself when she realized she did know love. Laughing in happiness when Ginny and Hermione high-fived and did a little victory dance on their lane, Pansy understood that she loved them. They were the sisters she'd never had. Hermione and Ginny…her friends.

When Draco bumped her softly and asked what she was giggling to herself about, she turned to him and realized that somehow along they way she had begun to love him, too. Not in the way lovers would, but almost like a family member. In the last few weeks, she had watched him struggle his way back to normalcy. She had seen him grow and change; and prayed for and cheered on his small successes each time he had one. After almost a lifetime of knowing each other, he had gained her trust; she could finally call him a friend.

"Nothing," she smiled brightly at him. "Just thinking how good it is to have friends."

Draco nodded and looked around the bowling alley at everyone. He wasn't close to most of them, but he was no longer everyone's enemy. And, he did finally have people he could call his friends. He smiled back at Pansy and reached over to take her hand for a moment, "Yeah. Yeah it is."

Their quiet moment was broken by an eruption of cheers on the lanes between them and Hermione. Greg had gotten a strike. And, as it was the first time he'd knocked down more than two pins, the entire group was happy for him.

She saw the smile of shock and disbelief on his face as everyone around him cheered, congratulated him or reached out to shake his hand. And, when Ron reached across and slapped him on the back with a smile, she watched Greg's eyes bug out of his head. A tear escaped even as she clapped and a happy laugh bubbled out of her when she saw the moment, he too realized, he had real friends.

xxxxx

"Well, I guess it's my turn," Ron said as he stood from his place at one of the long tables in the Granger's backyard. Several of them were taking turns toasting the now madly blushing, teary Hermione.

"Hermione, you know I hate to get all mushy and stuff, and I am sure you figured I didn't write anything down or whatever. But your Mum said I should tell you what's on my mind. So, um, you know I agree with what Harry said. We both feel badly that your previous birthdays haven't been quite up to snuff, especially last year's and I know this doesn't begin to make up for it. But, I hope you know I would do anything to see that smile and watch those eyes sparkle. I love you, Mione. You're the best person I know and one of the two best friends a bloke could ask for. I hope this birthday is all you wanted and more, and that each that follows is that much better than the last. Happy birthday, luv."

Everyone echoed his last words and several people wiped away tears. Hermione got up once more to give Ron a long hug. When she pulled back, he tenderly wiped her tears away before leaning down to kiss her cheek.

When he stepped back he saw everyone watching and went red as he sat back down. Hermione went back to her seat when her father stood at the end of the table.

"And, I guess that means we end with me," he laughed. "I know most of you are hoping I hurry so we can get to dinner, as it smells amazing." He waited until the good-natured laughter rolled away before he sobered a bit and looked at his daughter.

"Your mum and I thought we would both speak, but just now she decided I better do it, as she didn't think she would make it through. I confess I don't either, Worm. You can't understand how proud we are to be your parents. Even when we worried for your safety, and bemoaned our decision to let you go to that school, we never wavered in our love, faith and belief in you. Each summer you came home to us and we got to see the changes you barely noticed. Each day we relished in having you back with us, if only for a short while. And, at the end of each summer we worried about letting you go again. We prayed for your safety. We prayed for you to be happy and healthy, to have friends and to make it back to us once again. Every year when your mum and I packed your birthday package, we hoped you'd feel the love we tried to put in there, as well. We never wanted a day to go by when you didn't feel the support and belief from us to you. Today, as we look around at the friends you've made, both old and new, and know the love they have for you which made them do all of this for you, we know a pride so profound it can't be measured. We raised a brilliant woman who many call their friend. We loved a little girl who became a hero. And, we praise your future, which seems so very bright.

"Tonight, Jean and I offer three toasts. One for all of you who befriended, protected and loved our baby girl on the many birthdays we missed and invited us to share in this one with her. The next toast is for the Weasley family and Harry, without whom Hermione wouldn't be who she is, and without whom we would have been lost. And, the last, to you, Hermione; the light of our lives, the love of our hearts, and the child of our dreams; we love you very much. Happiest of birthdays."

Hermione let out a gulping sob as she fell into her father's arms. Her mother joined the little circle and her sniffles could be heard joining her daughter's in the silence that had fallen. Every woman in the yard had been touched by the sheer power of her father's pride and love, and dabbed at their eyes. And, every man swallowed heavily against the tears they bit back.

Pansy sat between Draco and Greg at the second table and blew her nose delicately as she tried to control her tears. Greg clumsily patted her back as he fought his own sniffles, and Draco held her hand tightly under the table. His face was completely void of emotion, but the slight tremble in his hand let her know how much, he too, had been affected.

When the Grangers once again took their seats, one of the Weasleys called out, "Speech!" and many others joined in. Hermione blew her nose once more before she shakily stood and faced them.

"I…I don't know what to say. Thank you seems so trite after all you've done for me today, no matter how much I mean it. Thank you for being my friends. Thank you for all the wonderful surprises today. And, thank you, most of all, for finding a way for me to be with my parents today. You will never know how much that means to me. Every single one of you played a part in making today one I will always treasure and I…well, I just thank you. So much."

When they raised their glasses once more to her, Hermione smiled a watery smile and said, "Okay, enough. It's time to eat. And, then I want to see what all's in that huge pile of presents I saw back in the house!"

Everyone laughed with her as she sat down. And, then they saw Jean wave her hand toward the house. People's eyes widened as a small army of waiters come out of the house carrying trays of delicious smelling dishes. Conversation began anew as excitement over each dish mounted, and wine and champagne glasses were refilled.

xxxxx

"This is so cool!" Parvati exclaimed when the waiter, who had just sliced roast beef onto her plate, moved away. "It's just like you read about in the muggle magazines."

"I know!" Pansy whispered back. "But, how weird is it to have people waiting on us, instead of elves?"

Millicent snorted, "Not half bad food either. Even if it is muggle made."

Padma laughed softly, "Our father had a muggleborn friend once when we were younger who had a butler. That guy did practically everything for Mr. Contid. That was the first time I ever saw a person doing what an elf had always done at home."

Parvati joined her in laughter, "Yeah, I remember him. Pad asked him how he'd magicked himself so tall and what he had done with his ears."

They all laughed and Padma defended herself, "Hey! We were six!"

Greg reached out to stop a waiter who circled with bacon-wrapped shrimp and took a few of the bite-sized delicacies before he commented. "Well, I admit to being a bit surprised by all of this."

When several people raised their eyebrows at him, he hurriedly continued, "I don't mean anything bad, I just…I never knew muggles lived like this. I mean, we had to watch television at least three times a week for an hour over the summer, but it was mostly those news shows. I didn't know muggles could be rich!"

Theo nodded in agreement, "I can admit my jaw dropped a little when I saw the house. I never thought much about whether Hermione had money or not. But, I can't say I imagined her having all of this, either. Did you see the dining room? I swear those were antique chairs!"

"They were passed down from her great-great grandparents," Draco said around his bite of twice-baked potato. When everyone stopped to stare at him, he snapped, "What?!"

"How would you know that?" Neville asked in shock.

Draco shrugged and looked back down at his plate as he forked up more potato, "I do read, you know!"

"About Hermione?" Seamus asked in shock. But, before Draco could answer Susan leaned forward to see him around Greg and asked, "What else do you know?"

Draco glanced over at her, ready to tell her to piss off for bating him, but saw honest interest in her round face. He then glanced over at the other table to make sure none of them had heard the conversation. He hadn't felt like he was spying on her during his many nights in the library researching Hermione's life, but now it kind of felt like he was telling her secrets.

He was about to say he didn't know anything much when Hannah sat forward and asked, "How old is the house?"

"Um, I think it was built in the early 1900s," he admitted. Then, when everyone looked to him for more, he cleared his throat and threw another glance at Hermione's table. She was laughing with her parents and Harry and paying him no mind. His voice was soft when he began again, but grew in strength as he got into his topic.

"It was passed down through her mother's family. Her great-great grandfather was one of the first dentists in the area and THE first to use something called Novocain, some kind of muggle pain blocker, on his patients. He eventually made quite a bit from it. Some of the stories said he was quite miserly with his money, but others said he just knew how to manage it well. Seems he moved his pregnant wife here to start a new life and when they got here they had next to nothing. But, he worked and saved and grew his money until the day he died and his wife worked as his nurse when she could. Eventually, he used the money to build this place for his wife, son and daughter, so they could hold their heads high after years of abuse from others in the community. Not many had wanted to help the crackpot tooth doctor or his poorly dressed family when they'd had nothing, but when the money started rolling in, everyone wanted to befriend them. One article said he built the fence around the place to keep people out. It worked too well, I guess, 'cause when he died, he left it to the daughter, as she'd never met anyone to marry and he didn't want to leave her homeless."

"He left it to the daughter?" Dean asked, his mouth full of perfectly cooked salmon. "Not a son?!"

Draco grimaced and wondered if spending time with Ron and his bad table manners had rubbed off on the tall, black boy. "That's what it said. But, it seems she did find someone, because she gave birth to three children later and when she died, in honor of her father, she passed it on to her oldest girl. I guess it kind of became a tradition. Now, it always goes to the first born daughter."

"That's awesome!" Hannah said. "I like that tradition. Hermione gets a mini mansion. All I get is my mother's jewelry."

Everyone laughed and Draco continued, "It's all quite fascinating really. Did you know they've all been dentists, too? And, most of them have married dentists. I guess Hermione's going to break that streak though."

"Oh, we don't know that for sure yet," Jean Granger's soft voice carried over to their table.

Draco paled as he looked over to see everyone's eyes on him. He hadn't realized the other table had stopped talking and had been listening to his little family history lesson. He swallowed and tried to find the words to apologize, but the conversation continued as if it were completely normal for him to have been discussing Hermione's personal business.

"That's right," her father put in as he glanced at Draco thoughtfully. "Witches and wizards have teeth, too!"

Arthur reminded them that magic could fix most of their teeth issues, "Just, look at what it did for Hermione."

Her parents shot her twin pained looks and she rolled her eyes at them and huffed, letting everyone know the topic was still a sensitive one in the Granger home. Draco, the cause of her overgrown teeth back in their earlier years, shifted in his chair uncomfortably. But, no one noticed as the debate ensued over which way was healthier, magical or muggle medicine. Even as the conversations around him resumed, Draco sat still and quiet in his seat. He wasn't sure what to make of the events of the past couple of minutes.

No one had hexed him for talking about her. Her mother had smiled at him almost tenderly. Her father had looked at him strangely, but Draco hadn't felt any malice in the stare. Harry and the Weasleys all stared at him with varying degrees of shock before they turned away to whisper amongst themselves. And, Hermione had stared at him for a long while, then her lips had quirked up in a small smile and the wind had left Draco's body.

When she'd ducked her head and tucked back into her soup, he had seen the smile stay fixed on her lips. Had he looked in a mirror, he would have seen the answering one on his. But, as it was, he forced himself to look away and concentrate on the people at his table and his meal.

xxxxx

It was almost half seven when Hermione looked at the large pile of gifts she'd opened and expressed her thanks once more. Everyone sat around the living room and enjoyed tea or coffee with more slices of birthday cake. So much had happened that day that she was simply overwhelmed. The presents had been as unexpected as the rest of the day's surprises, and she'd laughed and sniffled her way through them.

Molly and Arthur had given her a complete self-updating wizarding encyclopedia set, Fred and George a box of WWW merchandise and a gift certificate for more, and Bill, Fleur and Charlie had given her a hundred muggle pounds. The many young men in her life had been predictable, but thoughtful in their gifts and she'd received a wand cleaning kit, a new set of quills and ink, and wizarding gift cards to Flourish and Blott's. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore had written her a letter wishing her a very happy birthday and gifting her with the ability to use muggle hardware in her bedroom. She'd been pleased, but confused by their gift until her parents had had her open the new CD player, DVD player, computer and monitor they had gotten for her. She'd squealed with joy and then happily explained what they were to those who didn't know and promised to allow them chances to use them.

Everyone had laughed good-naturedly at Hagrid's gift of a book entitled, _Monsters of the Wizarding World and the Beings That Love Them_, "awwwed" at Neville's offering of an aloe vera plant that he had charmed to regrow as soon as it was cut, and smiled softly when Ginny gave her a friendship bracelet with her own name on the dangling charm, and held up her arm to show everyone the match on her wrist with Hermione's name hanging from it.

Everyone murmured when she opened Luna's gift to see a twig that Luna assured everyone would protect Hermione from Rydgipeua Syndrome when she was deeply worried about something.

Harry and Ron, having been told about her parents' gift, had pooled their money and gotten her several games, programs, and accessories for her new computer, as well as loads of CDs and DVDs. And, her parents added to the pile with a gleaming set of teardrop diamond earrings. If that wasn't enough, Greg, along with Theo and Draco, presented her with a gorgeous set of ruby earrings, necklace, and a bracelet.

The last gift was from all of the girls, and they giggled as Hermione tore open the large box. When her mouth dropped open in shock and she looked from the box to them and back, they all congratulated each other for their success at surprising her so thoroughly. Hermione leaned forward and started pulling out things one by one. Soon, laid out beside her, was a new set of dress robes, matching gloves, a scarf, pretty, low-heeled shoes, and a soft as butter overcoat.

When she stammered her thanks, Ginny grinned, "There's more. Look under the paper."

Hermione didn't think as she pulled out more paper and revealed the part of the gift that made all the girls fall over each other in giggles. She blinked at the two pairs of sexy, matching bra and panty sets, one red, one green, and blushed to her roots as she looked at her laughing friends.

"I can't believe you guys!" she admonished, even as she laughed with them.

It wasn't until Dean called out, "How about a fashion show?" and her father laughed, "I think not!" that she remembered everyone was staring at her underwear. With a tiny shriek she threw the paper back over them and put her face in her hands.

Jean's face was as red as her daughter's, but she laughed along, as well. "Well, that was fun. Now, how about Molly and I get all of this packed up, while you lot head upstairs and get changed. We'll have everything set in just a bit."

"Changed?" Hermione asked as Ginny and Pansy pulled her out of the pile and to her feet. "For what?"

"One last surprise," Parvati laughed from behind her.

"I don't think I can handle any more," Hermione laughed. "And, just what are we changing into? For what?"

No one answered her as they grabbed their bags and still laughing and teasing, made their way upstairs. The men divided, went into two guest rooms and shut the doors. The women split into three groups. Some went to the last guest room, some to her parents' bedroom and Hermione and the rest to her old bedroom.

"Okay guys. What are we…" Hermione's voice trailed off as she turned to see Ginny, Pansy, and Parvati all undressing and pulling dresses from their bags.

"Less talk, more getting ready," Parvati smiled.

"But, what do I…"

Ginny laughed, "No worries. Vati's got it covered."

A hurried shower and short while later Hermione found herself dressed in a lovely, dark blue dress that clung lightly to her curves, hung off her shoulders, dipped low enough to display her cleavage, without being vulgar, and swirled nicely above her knees. Her hair had been piled in soft curls on her head, with tendrils hanging down the sides of her face and neck, and her makeup had been done so quickly, she hadn't had time to complain. She even liked the light sheen of sparkly face powder that made her skin seem to glow. She couldn't hold back her large smile as her companions, who looked just as lovely in their dresses, gushed about how perfect she looked.

"So, where are we going?" she asked again when Pansy peaked out the door to see if the coast was clear.

Ginny answered with a large smile, "Well, we had planned to go to a pub or club, but Professor McGonagall nixed that idea."

"So, you, Ms. Granger," Pansy said with a small grin, "Are about to have your very own coming out ball!"

"What?!" Hermione asked in shock. "No. I don't need…"

Parvati laughed and moved to the door, "This isn't about need, Hermione. This is about celebrating your birthday in style!"

"Yeah," Pansy sighed dreamily, "you get to be the belle of the ball tonight. And, we only have a few more hours until we have to get back to school, so just relax and enjoy it."

Hermione laughed and nodded, even as she teared up for the millionth time that day, "Gosh, you guys, I can't believe you did this all for me."

"No crying! You'll ruin your makeup and we can't use magic to fix it," Parvati ordered with a grin. Then she leaned in to hug Hermione, "We love you and you deserve it."

Pansy stepped forward and gave her a quick hug, "Thank you for letting me share this day with you. Happy birthday, Hermione."

"Oh, Pansy," Hermione sighed as she sniffled.

Ginny announced it was time to go and the other two left first. Ginny held her back for a moment and looked into Hermione's eyes.

"You are the sister I never had and my best friend on this planet. I love you to pieces, Hermione, and I hope you like this last part of your surprise."

"I love you, too Gin. Thank you."

"In the interest of all that's happened recently I thought I should tell you, this ball wasn't our idea."

Hermione looked over at her, "Who's was it?"

"Draco's." Ginny let that sink in before she added, "He even suggested that you would look, and I quote Pansy, who quoted Greg, who quoted Theo, absolutely amazing in a dark blue dress with those legs of yours on display."

"He…I…huh?"

When Hermione stopped stammering and just stared at her at a loss for what to say, Ginny smiled softly, "Come on. Let's get the belle to her ball."

xxxxx

Herb waited at the top of the steps for his daughter and looked out over the collection of young people below. He smiled down at his wife as she waited for them at the bottom of the steps and then blew her a kiss. As expected the men had finished washing up and changing first and had come back downstairs to wait for the women to emerge. Jean, Herb, Molly and Arthur had quickly changed in the pool house and hurried back to get things ready. He and Jean had laughed that it was nice to have magical family, as they would never have finished things so quickly otherwise.

Now, he watched as the young women floated past him and descended the stairs. It made him smile in memory of his early days with Jean, as their boyfriends met them at the bottom and took their hands. Everyone looked just perfect, and he sighed as he thought to himself, "This must have been what that fourth year ball looked like."

He smiled absentmindedly at the dark-haired girl with Parvati as they moved past him and down the steps. Then, he turned and whistled at Ginny as she drew closer.

"My, my, Ms. Weasley. You look simply divine. I can't believe you're the same little girl who I watched fight with her brothers in the back yard."

"Thank you, Mr. Herb. Wait until you see Hermione!"

"Where is the lady of the hour?" he asked looking over her shoulder and down the hall to the closed door.

"She's coming. She just needs a minute. I think all the shocks backed up on her a bit."

"Is she okay?" he asked as he straightened to go to her. But before Ginny could answer, and before he took a full step, the door opened and Hermione stood, silhouetted in the frame.

"I'll see you downstairs," Ginny smiled as she turned and headed down the stairs. Her eyes swept the crowd as she went, and she was pleased to see so many eyes turned appreciatively in her direction. But, it was the look on Harry's face when she got about halfway down that made her gasp. In all their time together she had never seen that mix of awe, possessiveness, appreciation and love that was directed up at her as he moved to the bottom of the stairs.

When she placed her hand in his, he breathed, "My God, Gin. You're breathtaking."

She blushed prettily and stepped off the last step, "Thank you, Harry. You look pretty great yourself."

xxxxxx


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_Draco's…. Draco's…. Draco's…_

That one word was bouncing around in her mind like an errant ping pong ball. As if watching from outside herself, she heard herself ask Ginny, with false cheeriness, for a minute alone before she went downstairs. She'd watched Ginny nod, smile and hug her quickly before turning and walking out the door. But, in the fog that was her mind Hermione couldn't quite grasp when the door had closed, why she couldn't seem to get a deep breath, or why she was sitting on her childhood bed with her knees pulled up, her arms around them, in a beautiful outfit.

_Draco's…. Draco's…. Draco's….  
_  
Slowly it began to filter…the coming out ball part of the day had been his idea. He…he'd…he'd imagined what she would look like in her ball gown; her navy blue, sparkly, revealing ball gown.

_Why? Did he know?  
_  
"Oh God!" she gasped as she stood abruptly and her hand went to her stomach. "How?!"

Her mind was awhirl with questions. _How could he know? Did Pansy tell him? No, she wouldn't have, she promised. But, was I acting like I was interested? Oh, man, was I flirting with him and didn't know it? And, she did say he was interested, too. So, maybe he…But, why a dance? Why would he care what I wore? I thought he liked gre…Does he like me? Is he interested in us maybe…No. He probably just wanted to…what? He has been different so far this year. We haven't fought once, not really and sometimes when he looks at me, I…BREATHE!  
_  
Gasping loudly she shook her head slightly and straightened up. Panic would do her no good. If he knew, or suspected, she would deal with it. She would…well, she would figure it out, wouldn't she? And, if he didn't and this was some kind of sick joke on his part…well, she would deal with that, too. Right? Right!

With her bravery and a bit of righteous indignation strapped back on, she grasped the handle and flung the door open ready to face whatever came next.

As she stepped into the doorway, her eyes fell on her father in his tuxedo and her bunched shoulders relaxed as she saw the pride and admiration in his eyes. He held out his hand to her as he started in her direction and she began the walk to him as things began to move in a hazy fashion in her mind.

She remembered her first dance recital as a child when she'd fallen on stage during the dance, but her father had told her she was the most beautiful, perfect, dancing flower he'd ever seen; his encouraging wave from the side of the field before her first jumping lesson on her new horse, Phantom; and the pride in his eyes when she'd come off the train that first year at Hogwarts waving her Top of The Class papers. She smiled brightly as she thought of the way he'd looked at her all that day. His eyes held such pride and an unbelievable amount of love.

As she reached him and his hands grasped hers, she looked up into those eyes she knew and loved and could only whisper, "Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for always being you. And, thank you for always loving me."

He nodded, but had to clear his throat before he could speak, "You look beautiful, honey. Just a picture."

"Thank you. You don't clean up so bad yourself," she smiled to soften the joke.

His laugh bounced off the walls as he answered, "Yeah, I know. Your mother is going to be busy fighting all those young ladies for dances with me."

"You never know," she laughed.

He sobered for a moment and squeezed her hand, "Hermione, I need to get this out and I may say it wrong, but it needs to be said."

"Okay, Daddy," she nodded, tensing slightly at his suddenly serious tone.

"Your mother and I talked. Earlier. About you and…well, you're a smart woman. You know I trust your judgment, but I have to say this even though your mum thinks I should stay out of it. Your interest in that boy, and his in you, it…well, I just want you to be careful. No, don't deny it and please let me finish."

Hermione closed her mouth and nodded once again.

"I know people change. I know that. But, this one and his family, they've…done some awful things, hurt you, let you be hurt. And, I know you've said they paid for it and that they've learned, but just be careful, okay. He may not mean to, he may not want to, but he could. Hurt you again, I mean. You have such a big open heart, Hermione. I don't want to see it get bruised or crushed by someone who doesn't or can't appreciate it for the gift it is."

Her head was shaking back and forth before she said, "But, Daddy, I…"

"I know," he smiled softly as he patted her hand and tucked it in the crook of his elbow, "I know, I know, you aren't interested in him that way. You're just friendly or whatever you kids call it these days. But, I also know you, Worm, and I won't say anything more about it, if you'll promise me one thing."

"Anything," she answered with a soft smile.

"If ever you feel a man you are interested in, any man that is, no one in particular mind you, needs to be beaten about the head for a short while, you will call on your dear old dad, now won't you?"

Hermione giggled, but agreed as he pulled her close for a hug.

"I love you, Worm," he said into her hair.

She inhaled the familiar scent of his cologne and sighed the answer she'd been giving since before she remembered, "Not as much as I love you, Daddy."

"Okay," he said as he pulled away and straightened his jacket, "Let's get you to your party."

Together they turned to finish the walk down the hall to the top of the stairs. As they neared, she heard someone call out.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Ms. Hermione Jean Granger, escorted by her father, Mr. Herbert Ignatius Granger, the third."

When she reached the top of the steps and looked down, her breath caught in her throat. The beauty of the place and the people were breathtaking. Balloons floated, streamers waved, and silver and gold confetti fell from above. Jewels shone, faces glowed, and eyes gleamed. Her eyes lit on her mother's smiling face, with its twin track of happy tears, and she saw the same love and pride as that of her father's. Looking to the right she saw a sea of Weasleys and their spouses beaming up at her with admiration and love, as they applauded her. Ron, Ginny and Harry stood in the front of the group, their faces wreathed in smiles and their hands clapping madly. Ron whistled loudly, as the others called their happy birthdays out to her. She felt her heart swell as the steadfastness of their friendship and the depth of their love.

She gripped her father's arm more tightly as she waved down to them with her other hand. Then she turned her head and looked at the left half of the room, where her classmates whistled, clapped and called out just as loudly. No one voice could be distinguished from the next, as they all shouted congratulations, but three people stood out to her anyway. They made her first want to cry, next want to laugh, and last…the last.

First, there was Pansy. There was such awe on her face, that it almost pained Hermione to meet her eyes. Over the past few weeks she had learned a lot more about Pansy's insecurities and desires. She'd learned how much of an idol she'd become to her new friend and how much Pansy weighed herself against the standards Hermione had reached. She knew by looking at her that Pansy was still feeling too thankful to have been forgiven and included. She wanted her new dark-haired friend to feel like she belonged at the party, not that she was allowed.

Luna was the complete opposite and it relieved the small ache that had formed in Hermione's chest to just look at the free-spirited blonde. Luna stood back a bit from the crowd, her arms waving more like she was dancing than cheering. Her eyes flicked over Hermione and her father and then bounced around the room before returning to the two on the stairs. She wore a purple, pink and orange-striped, T-length dress with enough taffeta for three dresses under it, along with her Ravenclaw tie. Her hair was braided in one long braid down her back, exposing her favorite radish earrings, and had a huge purple, pink and orange bow tied at the bottom. But, with all of that, the thing that pulled Hermione's eyes to Luna was the confident air she exuded, even amidst the crowd. She didn't care what everyone thought of her style, she didn't care that she may not be the most fashionable person there. Luna knew she belonged.

For a long moment Hermione couldn't pull her eyes away from the last person. She saw such naked appreciation and approval it caused her cheeks to flame. Then interest and desire quickly followed, causing her heart to beat faster. His bearing was to be expected, as he always stood out from the rest. Although it barely registered, she took in his formal, tailor-made tuxedo and shiny shoes. As impressive as he looked, it was his eyes alone that captured her. They praised her more loudly than any of the yelling had done. They spoke of things she didn't fully understand; promised things she still wasn't sure she wanted to know. Then he blinked and the moment was broken. She drew in a shaky breath as she glanced away and continued her descent with her father down the stairs and into the arms of the waiting crowd.

"You look great, Hermione!" Harry smiled as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Just great. I get the second dance."

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione laughed. "But, second? Who gets the first?"

"That would be me," Ron said from her other side. Then he took her hand and raised it to his lips for a brief kiss, "I get the honor of opening the dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room."

"Aw, Ron," Hermione grinned.

"Yeah, sorry, Hermione, but I made Harry promise the first to me," Ginny laughed.

"No worries, I understand," Hermione smiled. Then she glanced around the room again, saw everyone standing around enjoying drinks and once again laughed, "I can't believe you guys all did this for me."

"You're worth it, hon," Ron said as he draped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her. "Now, how about that dance, so this party can really get started?"

Hermione looked around to figure out what to do next and caught her mother's eye. She blew back the kiss sent to her and nodded. With an answering nod, Jean signaled the musicians to begin. Regardless of the years of instruction, Hermione felt a twinge of disappointment as she had never much enjoyed ballroom dancing. She knew her parents loved the intricacy and grace of the dances, and a part of her really did appreciate those things too, but nothing made her feel as good as fully cutting loose on the dance floor. Shrugging it off, she allowed Ron to lead her to the center of the floor.

A handsome young man in a tuxedo stepped forward to the microphone, "Ms. Granger, please allow us, The Magical Muggle Mix, to wish you a very happy birthday. We hope you enjoy your evening."

With that he turned and the musicians raised their instruments.

"Ready?" Ron asked with a grin.

"Careful of my toes," she teased.

As he took the first steps he laughed with her, "I'll do my best."

xxxxx

After dancing with Harry, her father, Mr. Weasley, a few of Ron's brothers, and some of the young men from her class, Hermione was finally able to pull away for a few minutes to grab a drink. With a happy sigh, she took a long sip and leaned back against the wall to watch her parents on the dance floor. She wasn't alone for long though. Before she could take the second sip she was once again surrounded by people.

"Are you having fun?" Pansy asked as she reached out for a glass of champagne.

"Absolutely!" Hermione nodded. "Are you?"

Pansy tipped the rest of the glass up and finished the contents before she answered, "It's wonderful. Like a fairytale. And, this…"

Her hand snaked out to grab another glass of champagne before she continued, "…is positively delicious!"

"Maybe you should slow down on those," Ginny hinted. "They're alcoholic, you know."

"I know," Pansy giggled around a small burp, "but it's so bubbly and tasty."

Hermione just laughed, "Just be careful. We don't want you throwing up all the way back to Hogwarts."

"I'll have you know that I can hold my liquor quite well, thank you very much!" Pansy answered haughtily. Then she ruined the effect by giggling and almost dropping her glass. "Oops."

"There you are!" Greg's exasperated voice interrupted the conversation. "Jeez, Pans. How many have you had now?"

Pansy stood up straighter to glare at him, "I told you, both of you," she exclaimed pointing a finger at Draco when he materialized out of the crowd to stand just behind Hermione. "I don't need a keeper. I am fine!"

"Pansy," Draco began only to be cut off.

"I am not going to do anything stupid, Draco. Honestly! I am just trying to relax a little, okay?"

When Draco had answered, Hermione steeled herself not to jump. He was closer than she'd realized and she felt the heat from his body behind hers.

"I didn't say you were going to do anything stupid, Pansy. But, when you drink you tend to, erm…"

Pansy looked positively scandalized, "What? Be honest? Tell people what I really think? What? Are you afraid I am going to tell Hermi…"

"Pansy!" Greg's voice boomed out making all three girls jump. When he saw their reaction he sighed, "Sorry. Um, maybe we should, uh…"

When it seemed he couldn't think of anything else to say, he simply reached out, grabbed Pansy's arm and hauled her away. Ginny, Hermione and Draco were left staring after them. Then, Ginny turned to say something to Hermione and her eyes fell on Draco.

With the subtlety of a bull in a china shop, Ginny looked over their shoulders, said very quickly, "Coming Harry," and was gone.

Hermione still stood with her back to Draco, but she could feel that he hadn't moved. Deciding that it was now or never, this was his chance to prove his intentions, she turned to look up at him.

"You look just like I imagined," he said, his voice so low she almost missed it.

She tried to answer, to say thank you, but her brain wasn't working with her mouth and all that came out was, "Oh, um."

He smirked when her cheeks turned pink and she appeared at a loss for words. Then he decided to take a chance and bowed slightly. "May I have this dance, Ms. Granger?"

Hermione's eyes widened and her jaw dropped a little, "What? Why? I mean, yes, I guess."

When Draco held out his hand to her, she looked at it and then back up at his face. She searched his eyes for any trace of derision, a sign that he was about to make a fool of her. But, she found none. Lifting her hand slowly, she placed it on his and let him draw her onto the dance floor.

The band had just begun a love ballad, and the dancers all moved closer to one another. Hermione felt his hand tighten on hers as he stopped and turned her into him, but she couldn't force herself to look up at him. His other hand slid across her stomach before coming to rest on her waist and they began to move. She tried to force herself to breathe, but with every intake his scent assaulted her, making her lightheaded.

In an effort to find some normalcy she blurted the first thing that came to mind, "You dance a lot better than either Harry or Ron do."

"Well, I should hope so," he laughed. "Are you enjoying today?"

"Yes. And, um, thank you," she mumbled, risking a glance up as far as his chin.

He expertly turned her and brought her back. This time though, his hand slid further back, drawing her body a fraction closer to him.

"For what?" he asked quietly.

Hermione had been concentrating on his hand and how close his fingers were to touching her bare back and forgotten what she'd said. "Huh?"

She didn't miss the chuckle in his voice, "You thanked me, Gran…Hermione. I asked for what."

"Oh, yeah," she answered. In her mild embarrassment she forgot to not look and lifted her head. When her eyes met his she trembled slightly, but still answered, "For taking part in all this. And, for the dance."

"My pleasure," he grinned down at her. Then his smile vanished, but his face took on even more sincerity, "You do look absolutely perfect."

"Thank you, again," she smiled briefly up at him before lowering her gaze to his perfectly knotted tie once more, her head spinning with questions. Just when she thought of them in the order she wanted to know the answers, he spun her again and she had to wait before she could ask.

xxxxxx

"Why do you know so much about my house? My family? Why did you want to dance with me? And, why did you want to see me in a blue dress?"

Draco looked down at her earnest eyes and knew the one question she really wanted to ask, about his feelings and recent actions. But, as he wasn't sure of his answers to that question, he chose to answer the ones she had posed. Since this could very well be his last chance to do it, he slid his hand all the way around and felt the silk of her skin glide under his hand as it rested lightly on her lower back. He felt more than heard her breath hitch and waited a moment for her to pull away.

When she didn't, he took a breath, "I've been researching you at night in the library. And, I know that sounds bad, but like I told you before, you're in my head. I thought if I, um, that maybe I could, uh, never mind. I asked you to dance because it's your birthday and you look bloody amazing. And the dress, I don't know. I just thought the color would… Look, Hermione, I…"

In a move she would later describe to Ginny as '…boyfriend having the most horrific timing ever!' Harry stepped up behind Hermione.

"Mione? Can I cut in?"

Draco felt Hermione instantly pull away. But, even as she stepped back out of his grasp, her eyes didn't leave his, "Of course, Harry."

He didn't look at the black-haired man behind her as he held her gaze and reached for hand, "Thank you for the dance, Hermione."

Harry huffed and put his hand on her arm pulling her attention away for a second, but she glanced back up again as she answered with a small smile, "You're welcome, Malf…Dra…Draco."

He wanted to smile back at her. He wanted to get her to smile at him again. But, before he could do either, she was pulled away by Harry and they disappeared into the crowd of dancers. Draco sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he turned to leave the floor, but he was stopped.

"You really like her? Hermione? I mean, you know, for real?"

Draco didn't know what to make of the question, or of the man asking it. He looked from one face to another as he tried to decide how best to answer. Ginny and Parvati's faces were neutral, but their eyes sparkled with interest. Theo gave him a look of encouragement nodded slightly to suggest Draco should tell the truth.

So, he looked back into Ron's face, "We already discussed this, Weasley. Yes. So?"

Draco wasn't sure what to make of range of emotions he saw flicker over the other man's face, but he was stunned by the words that came out.

"Well, she likes you, too, so…"

"Ron!" both Ginny and Parvati gasped.

He spun between the two, "What? It's true enough isn't it? And, I was just going to…"

"To what, Ronald?" Theo asked, his voice dripping in dare.

Ron ignored Theo, glanced at Ginny for a second, and then looked back at a still shocked Draco. He took a deep breath so he could get it all out. "Look, Malfoy what I said before still stands. And, you should know Harry's not happy about any of this. Not in the least, but, uh, if you, I mean, if she…"

"What Ron is trying to say is that he and Harry have agreed to not get in your way," Ginny smiled a little.

Then, when Ron bristled she quickly added, "Not that you have their full support, of course, but as long as you don't intend to hurt her, and she's willing, no one will stand in your way."

Draco nodded, but didn't speak, as he wasn't quite sure what to make of the turn of events. He tried to mask his emotions, but knew he was unsuccessful when Ginny patted his arm as she moved by him. Ron simply harrumphed and walked away.

"I don't think she wanted you to find out, at least not that way," Parvati said softly, gaining Draco's attention. "She doesn't know what to do with it yet, if she even wants to do anything about it, but well, now you know. As they say, knowledge is power and you now have that power. I don't know what you will do with it, but listen to me carefully and be warned. You may have been given a second chance; you may even deserve it. We all want to believe you've changed. But, if you have it in your head to use her and throw her away, to break her, there won't be a hole big enough for you to hide in."

"Vati," Theo began.

"No, Theo," Draco sighed. "She has a right to speak her mind."

He looked back down at her and waited for her to continue. When she stared at him for a while and then smiled softly, he felt his forehead crinkle in confusion and immediately straightened it. He watched as she reached out and took Theo's hand before she spoke.

"Getting to know Theo has taught me a lot. Knowing him as I do now, and understanding why he believes in you, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and wish you luck."

Draco inclined his head, as that was the best he could do and maintain his dignity. He had the strange urge to hug both of them and quickly turned away before he could give in to that embarrassing desire.

xxxxxx


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 18**

Pansy watched Ron dance with Lavender Brown for the third time and turned away quickly to take a breath, so that she didn't cry and make a fool of herself. When a waiter passed with a full tray of champagne she reached out and grabbed two glasses. Finishing the first in only a few gulps, she placed the glass on the closest table and turned back to the dance floor. He looked like he was having fun with the flirty Gryffindor draped all over him and it made her heart hurt.

"Stop looking!" she berated herself and looked away from the couple to see Draco walking in her direction.

"Hey," he smiled at her. Then he followed her gaze when she lifted her second drink for another long sip, "Pansy, you need to stop."

"Stop, what?" she shrugged.

"Drinking for one." He took the drink from her hand and pulled her away from the table and out into the hall. Glancing into the first room, he reached into the empty sitting room and flicked on the light. He turned back to Pansy and frowned at her face filled with tears.

"Oh, Pans," he sighed and pulled her with him to the couch.

"What's so wrong with me, Draco?" she cried softly.

He tightened his grip on her hand, "Nothing. Not one damn thing, other than your taste in men."

"Don't do that!" she admonished him.

"Gods, Pansy, you're a wonderful woman who deserves someone who can see that. If he can't, then he doesn't deserve you! He deserves that slag, Lavender."

"Stop that! Don't blame him," she demanded as she pulled her hand away and fisted her hands together in her lap. "It's not his fault he doesn't want me. Look what I did."

"For Merlin's sake, stop that, dammit! Stop kicking yourself over one mistake. One! All of you keep telling me that I deserve a second chance and I did a hell of a lot more than that. You panicked. You were scared. That's all. You can't keep punishing yourself for it, Pansy. In the past eight years you have done nothing to deserve all the pain you are putting yourself through."

When she only cried harder he pulled her close and added, "Pansy, if he can't forgive you for being scared, then he's not the man for you. You don't need Ronald Weasley!"

The gasp from the doorway made them stand and spin quickly to it. Draco's face paled slightly, but his chin rose defiantly. Molly Weasley stared from one to the other, her mouth open in shock. And, Pansy moaned softly beside him before she slowly slid to the floor in a mortification mixed with alcohol induced faint.

Draco's shock almost kept him from catching her and he struggled under her weight as he lowered her to the floor as gently as he could. He called her name and slapped her cheek a few times to get her to come around, but she didn't respond. He didn't notice Molly come up beside him as he searched his pockets for his wand to bring Pansy around. He grunted in frustration when he remembered they'd been forced to leave their wands at school.

"Move aside, Mr. Malfoy," Molly said as her hand tapped his shoulder.

He looked up at her ready to protect Pansy from her wrath, but only saw motherly concern on her face.

"She, uh…she…" He had to blink twice to make sure he really saw the soft smile bloom on her face when she looked down at Pansy.

"It's okay, Mr. Malfoy, I'll take care of her. Go back to the party; it's about to wrap up."

"But," he began only to stop when she looked up at him and ordered in a very no-nonsense manner, "Go."

Her authoritative tone made him push back and begin to back out of the room. But, he worried about what Molly would do and say to Pansy when she revived her.

His foot had barely crossed the threshold when she added, "Please shut the door."

He hesitated as he didn't want to leave Pansy alone with a volatile Molly Weasley, but he didn't see where he had a choice. He slowly did as she asked and when the door was closed he leaned back against it and closed his eyes. He didn't know quite what else to do, so he just waited.

xxxxxx

"Enevenerate."

"Wha…what happened? I…" Pansy opened her eyes and looked into the twinkling blue-green ones of Molly Weasley. Even as she started scrambling to get up, she started babbling, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Pansy, calm down!" Molly said quietly as she started to get up. Then she reached out a hand and looked up at the younger woman sardonically, "Uh, a little help?"

Pansy's eyes widened a little, but she took a tentative step toward the woman.

"I won't bite you, dear," Molly laughed softly.

Pansy couldn't smile, as her entire body shook, but she took another step and reached out her hand to help Molly off the floor.

Molly got up and turned to sit down on the couch. She patted the seat beside her, "Have a seat." When Pansy's face leeched of all color, Molly sighed and put her wand on the table beside her. Spreading her hands in a sign of peace she said, "I just want to talk to you. I owe you an apology."

Pansy tried to control her breathing as she eased down onto the couch, as far on the opposite end as she could get. She couldn't stop herself from shaking, so she clasped her hands and hoped Ron's mother wouldn't notice.

"Okay, so first, as I said, I owe you an apology. As my family has pointed out to me over and over again, I, uh, spoke to you rather harshly earlier and without provocation. I am sorry."

Pansy, wide-eyed, nodded her acceptance as she waited to see what Molly would say next.

"Now, I must confess, I um, overheard some of your conversation with…that boy, and I need to ask, so that I am clear. Did I hear correctly that you are interested in my Ronny?"

Pansy gasped and surged to her feet, "I know I shouldn't be. I'm sorry. I'll…I'll…"

"Breathe!" Molly commanded sharply when the girl looked ready to pass out again. When Pansy gasped a quick breath, Molly smiled encouragingly and tried again. She stood and folded her hands in front of herself and tried to look stern, but approachable.

"Let me rephrase the question, dear. Do you honestly like my son or are you and that boy planning something? And, don't lie to me; I raised seven children, I'll know."

"I…I li…like him, Mrs. Weasley, I promise," Pansy stammered almost begging the woman to believe her. "I'm not planning anything with Draco. I'm not."

Molly stepped forward and took the shaking girls hands, "Okay, there there, I believe you. And, I think you need to sit down before you fall over again."

"Now," Molly conjured a glass of water and put it in Pansy's hands gently, "just take it easy and sip that. I know you're wondering, especially after this afternoon, why I am here with you. Well, let me explain. I have been following that boy all night. Drink up dear, then we can fix your makeup and get you back out there. You see, I love my children more than I can explain, and I consider Harry and Hermione mine. What you did last year, well I…well that's neither here nor there, let's just say I overreacted today and that wasn't fair to you. What that boy said earlier, well I'm ashamed to admit it, but I find I must agree with him. You were just as scared as everyone else and you made a mistake."

Pansy nodded stupidly, "I was. I was petrified."

Molly patted Pansy's hand as she nodded, "Oh, I know that dear. I know. And, I knew that earlier today, too. I was just thinking too much about Hermione and that bo…well, let's just say I took my frustrations out on you and that wasn't fair or right."

"Oh, okay," Pansy nodded again, her face a mask of confusion. She wondered briefly if Ron's mother had some sort of bi-polar disorder, but her thoughts scattered completely when Molly continued.

"Well, that's that then. Now, let's get you all cleaned up," Molly smiled as she stood to face the younger woman.

"Uh, yes Ma'am," Pansy answered, dazed and confused.

While Molly conjured a little mirror and make-up set and proceeded to fix Pansy's face, Pansy just stood still in her shock.

"There, pretty as before," Molly smiled as she stepped back.

Pansy just stared at her, "You aren't angry with me?"

"Oh Merlin, no. Why would I be?" Molly laughed.

"Well, because, um, well, Ron and, um," Pansy stuttered.

Molly stepped forward, took both of Pansy's hands in hers and leaned close with a soft smile, "I said I believed you earlier and I do. He defended you today when I, well earlier, and that means he sees something in you to stand up for. My Ronny is a great judge of character. I don't know what, if anything, is going to happen between you two, but if he likes you, then Arthur and I will stand by his decision."

Pansy sniffed back a fresh round of tears, "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, but I don't think he…"

"Now, now, none of that. We just fixed you up. Now, go on back out there and have fun. There's only a short bit left before we have to get you lot back to school."

Pansy smiled and nodded as she left the room. She still wasn't sure how it had happened, but…

"What did she say to you?" Draco demanded from his place against the wall.

Pansy turned a bemused smile up at him, "She gave me her blessing to date Ron."

"What?" Draco said as he straightened from the wall.

"Yeah," Pansy said as she walked away and down the hall away from him.

Before he could follow her Molly stepped out of the door, "Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing lurking out here?"

Draco bristled at her waspishness, but bit down on his tongue long enough to hold back the retort that had readily formed. Then he answered, "I was waiting for Pansy."

Her hands went to her hips and she lifted an eyebrow imperiously at him, "Well, I don't see her here, Mr. Malfoy."

"She just went down the…," then he sighed and started to walk away. "Never mind."

Molly let him walk away and watched his shoulders droop as he walked. She felt herself soften for a moment, but then remembered all the things he and his family had done to hers. "He's still a Malfoy." With that reminder she followed the blonde man back out to the party to continue her surveillance of him.

xxxxxx

All too soon the party ended and it was time to go back to school. The students were sent back up to gather their things, while the Weasleys helped the Grangers quickly clean everything back up. Bill took care of carefully obliviating the memories of the Granger's staff to remove their memories of the decorating and clean up magic done, before sending them off to bed or home. Then everyone met in the backyard to apparate back to school.

Hermione said her thank yous and goodbyes to her parents and the Weasleys, while the various Weasley family members took turns apparating the students back to the gates of the school, where the Headmistress and Professor Mills met them. Hermione was the last to leave and Bill had the honor of being her escort. When she joined the group, Professor McGonagall opened the gates and led the group back up to the carriages and back to school. The laughter and chatter was heard clearly across the grounds as everyone recounted events from the day with their friends. Arriving at the castle Hermione hugged and thanked most everyone one last time as they parted in the foyer in front of the Great Hall.

"I am so glad you enjoyed it, Hermione," Pansy smiled. "And, I have so much to tell you tomorrow!"

"Same here, but what? What happened?" Hermione asked.

"Tomorrow," Pansy smiled. "Tonight, I just want to get downstairs and get out of these shoes."

"Okay, we'll talk tomorrow," Hermione laughed. "But, don't forget one tiny detail!"

Pansy waved as she walked away, "I won't."

No, Pansy couldn't forget a thing; it had been too surreal a day. Speeding up, Pansy practically flew to her room. She had to get started writing in her diary. As up and down as it had been, she didn't want to forget a moment of it.

Hermione laughed to herself as she watched Pansy sprint down the hall and then turned back to the rest of her friends. As the group laughed and joked around her, Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that someone was staring at her. She tried to ignore it at first, because between her friends, patrolling teachers, and ghosts, there were more than a few things that could watch you in the halls. But, when the feeling didn't go away, she began to look for its source.

Partially hidden by a pillar, not too far from the rest of the group, stood a lone figure. She knew he hadn't mixed in with the group of people saying goodbye to her, as she'd watched him out of the corner of her eye, when he'd skirted the edge of the group and kept moving towards his rooms. But, she smiled softly when she realized he'd only gone as far as where he stood then, waiting for her to notice. She couldn't make out his face in his hidden spot, but she was pretty confident in the look he would have been wearing and blushed a bit in memory of their dance.

As soon as he knew he had her attention, Draco stepped more into the light, gave her a small bow of thanks and then pulled a rose he'd transfigured from what had been his pocket quill from behind his back. The chattering crowd didn't notice him, nor did they notice Hermione staring at him, and Draco didn't want to draw their attention. So, when he knew she was watching, he stepped back into the shadows, leaving only his arm and the rose in the light. With a whispered charm he let go of the flower and let it float next to the wall before he turned and hurried to his room.

Hermione stifled the urge to break from the group and run after him, but couldn't contain her glee over his actions. As soon as he slipped away she turned to see if anyone else had noticed him or his gift, part of her hoping they had so she would have someone to talk about it with, but the other part hoping not, so she would have a memory of him all her own. Her wish was partially granted. Theo would not say anything about what he'd seen unless she brought it up to him, so she got to store her first completely, perfect memory of Draco in her head as she hurried over to the wall to grab the red rose with its white tips. She faked picking up something from the floor as she carefully put the flower inside her coat and turned back to the group with a face-splitting smile.

xxxxxx

The rest of the weekend flew by and all of the party participants kept talking about the various parts of the day. Many of the other students who had not been able to attend asked questions of those who had, getting them to relive or explain all the muggle activities. Other students giddily gossiped about the wealth of Hermione and her parents, much to her chagrin.

Blaise had tried to block out the incessant chatter of his friends most of the day Sunday. When the Weaslette sat in front of their fireplace for almost an hour after breakfast and talked to a million people about their day, he had gone to his room and shut the door forcefully. When lunch rolled around and he had to listen to people congratulate and question Granger throughout it, he cut his meal short and went to the library where he stayed until dinner. Instead of enduring the torture again later, he ate dinner alone in the Head's kitchen and then went to the pitch to fly until dark. Thinking to finally put it all behind him, he returned to his rooms only to find Theo, Greg and Pansy laughing with the Weaslette. Even if he had wanted to stay and listen, which he most certainly did not, the look Pansy gave him let him know he was not invited into their conversation.

He rolled his eyes at her and went upstairs, where he slammed the door solidly behind him. He moved to stare blindly out of the window as he muttered to himself.

"And, remember how the band played that one muggle song? Ohhh, I've never seen London from that height! Golly gee willickers, I wish I was Hermione. She's so…UGH! Why? What have I done? They're supposed to…"

The pent up anger finally flared and he couldn't contain it. He had not said anything when all of his supposed friends had abandoned him to spend the day with Granger. He had bitten his tongue almost off in an effort to not stop them from talking about it all damn day. But, to have HIS friends sitting in HIS rooms, on HIS furniture talking with and about Hermione Granger and her day was just too much.

Flinging his arms and head back, he screamed out his anger and frustration. He didn't notice or care that he let go of all control and his magic seeped out of every pore. All he knew was he needed some release, some relief from the confusion he'd lived in for the past few weeks. His eyes were closed as he took another deep breath and let out another gut-wrenching cry. And another and another, and…

"…hell are you doing?!" Ginny's voice finally broke through his yells.

He whipped around to face her and opened his eyes to see not only her and his friends in the doorway, but the utter devastation that had been his bedroom. The instant silence was as loud as the screams as they all stood staring from each other to the room and back.

Finally his broken voice broke the quiet, "I…I just…"

"Guys, go find Draco," Pansy said softly as she took one tentative step into the room.

When no one else moved she turned her head and her scared, pleading eyes met Ginny's, who took charge immediately. Ginny directed the two men with them to go and find Draco. When they left quickly, she walked more fully into the room, shut the door, and looked at Blaise. What she saw tore at her heart. There was no other word for the look on his face, the feeling that radiated from his being…broken.

She stepped closer slowly and waited until Blaise's eyes met hers. She saw his shoulders hunch and his eyes harden, even as his face remained mostly blank.

"Why don't you guys go to my room," she suggested quietly. "I'll…I'll take care of this."

Blaise didn't move or comment, but continued to stare at her, so she moved forward slowly as she continued. "Pansy, I'll send Draco to meet you when he gets here. You two just go talk, okay?"

"Okay," Pansy said warily, "But…"

Ginny stood in front of Blaise and looked him in the eye, as she cut into Pansy's statement quietly. "No buts, Pansy. You two go. I'll take care of it. It'll be okay. I will make sure it's all okay."

Blaise saw her in front of him, and wondered how she'd gotten so close. He knew he'd ruined everything. He'd let his temper get the best of him and now she'd surely turn him in and he'd lose it all. Then the way she looked at him somehow broke through the screaming silence in his ears and it filtered through that she said it would be okay. He couldn't catch a good breath. He only knew he had to keep looking at her, keep eye contact with her. He wanted to believe her. He wanted everything to be okay again, but he didn't know what okay was anymore. He did know that the look in her eyes held promise, held hope. She, the Weaslette, the Gryffindor Queen to Potter's King, the second bane of his existence, was somehow going to make it okay. He didn't feel himself nod, nor notice when she took his arm and led him quietly from the room. All he knew was she never stopped looking like she would keep her word. And, although it went against everything in him, he chose to believe she would.

Without knowing how he got there, he found himself sitting on Ginny's bed with Pansy holding his hand. He watched Ginny's eyes as she backed slowly out of the room and quietly shut the door. And, when the door shut he released the sob he hadn't realized he'd been holding back. Instantly, he felt Pansy's arms wind around him and hold him tightly. And, although he knew later he would be embarrassed by his actions, at that moment all he felt like doing was curling into a ball and crying until the pain stopped. So, that's what he did.

xxxxxx

"Oh, Blaise, I don't hate you. I was, am, frustrated with your stubbornness, but I could never really hate you."

"But, you…"

"I was angry. I still am. The things you've said and done to them have been horrible, and, for no real reason. You haven't even tried to…never mind. Blaise, as angry as I get with you; I could never hate you. You're my friend."

"Still?"

"Always."

"But, what about…"

Draco stepped away from the door he'd only opened a crack and looked down at Ginny who stood beside him. She looked up at him sadly and motioned for him to follow her. He glanced back at the door before he followed her across the short hall and into his friend's room.

When he entered the room he stopped dead. The bed was blackened and parts of the blankets were still smoldering; the wardrobe and dresser little more than piles of ash. The door to the closet hung on one hinge and the contents spilled out as if blown out by a bomb. Each wall was scorched and the paintings hung awkwardly, their occupants left cowering in the corners of the frames. There was little left of the beautiful room he had seen only the night before.

"What happened?" he asked in shock.

Ginny shrugged and then bent to lift up a pile of books, "Do you want just the facts or my opinion of them?"

"Just the…" Draco started, but then he remembered the look on Blaise's face, and the sorrow on Ginny's and changed his mind. "Why don't you tell me both?"

Ginny nodded, but continued to move about the room straightening what she could as she told him her version of the night's events. Then, she pulled out her wand and continued.

"But, I think he just needed to get it out. He's been holding back, holding it in. He's angry, frustrated, confused…just everything. And, he's had no one to talk to; no one on his side, so to speak. Then all this stuff with Hermione's birthday yesterday and, well, I guess maybe he feels left out."

"He didn't want to go," Draco reminded her, speaking for the first time since she'd begun.

Ginny moved to the bed and put out the smoldering bed covers, "I know. I don't think he did want to go. But, no one wants to feel like they aren't a part of something." Then she stripped the ruined sheets from the bed and began to repair the frame.

Draco watched her bustle around the room as she explained and her movements made him jittery, "Merlin, would you stop that?!"

"No! I promised him it would be okay," she said stubbornly as she continued. Then her voice broke a little, "I promised him I would make it okay. I have to fix it."

His confusion was complete as he watched her regain control. He began to question her, "But, he…"

"He's a student in this school, Malfoy. He's my fellow Head," she interrupted with another shrug. And, then she looked him in the eye and said softly, "And, he's someone who needs help, needs someone. Even if that someone is me."

Draco's defenses kicked in, "He has friends! He has…"

"Calm down," she sighed heavily, "you're as bad as Ron some days."

"Hey!"

This time she laughed a little, "Sorry, but it's true."

Sobering, she sat on the fixed bed, "I think Blaise is going through the same thing we all did. We just did it over the summer and at home with our families. He's alone and he knows everyone is, in his estimation at least, against him."

Draco crossed his arms defensively and glared at her, "So what? You want everyone to start telling him he's right in his thinking? I thought you, of all people, would…"

"No, Malfoy!" Ginny snapped. Then she took a calming breath and continued, "I'm sorry, Draco. I'm not saying it right, I guess. Look, I am not saying he's right and I'm not saying all of you should start telling him he is. But, maybe you need to listen to him more. Talk to him, not at him. He's as lost as you were at the beginning of the summer. What did you want and not want then? What was the thing that made you listen; opened your eyes?"

When he didn't answer, but continued to look as if he was listening, she sighed and got up to fix the wardrobe. With her back to him she said, "You had your mother, your counselors, and the familiarity of a home to help you get through it all. Blaise has none of that. He needs your help. He needs your understanding, not your approval, but to know that you still believe in him. He needs his friends."

She waited for him to acknowledge her words in one way or another. But, when she heard him move away without speaking she assumed he had left the room. Turning, she saw him across the room silently washing the walls and straightening the pictures with his wand. She smiled to herself and turned back to her task.

A short while later, the room was back to its basic former glory; and Ginny left to get sheets and blankets to replace the ruined ones from his bed. Neither she nor Draco had uttered another word as they worked in companionable silence to put the room to rights, each lost in his or her own thoughts. So, when she returned and found the room empty, she figured he'd left and that she had failed.

"Well, at least I tried," she said to herself as she finished. Then, needing a moment to clear her head, she went to the window and stared out at the grounds. She didn't know how long she'd stood there, but she was startled out of her thoughts by movement behind her. When she turned around she saw Blaise standing in front of Pansy and Draco in the doorway.

She watched him look at her and at the room. Then his dark eyes came back to rest on her as he took a breath.

"Thank you," he finally said quietly.

"Of course," she answered unsure if she was meant to say more.

"I don't…um, are you…what I mean is…"

She understood and shook her head, "You had a bad night. We all have them. I'm off to bed. You guys have a goo…um, talk to you tomorrow."

She moved away from the window and crossed the room to them. They parted so she could pass, but Pansy reached out and squeezed her hand briefly before stepping into the room with Blaise. Draco stepped back into the hall and called her name softly.

"Yeah?" she asked as she turned back to him.

"Thanks. You didn't have to be so decent about this. You could've…well, thank you."

Ginny paused before she tilted her head and smiled softly up at him, "You take care of mine; I'll take care of yours."

Before he could fully comprehend her meaning, she'd turned into her room and shut the door. When he finally got it, _Hermione_, a smirk formed slowly on his face as he said to the now closed door, "Thanks, again."

xxxxxx


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

By midweek Draco was pretty sure nothing had been said to Hermione, or anyone else, about Blaise's breakdown. And, after a talk with Theo when he'd made it back to his room later that night, they two had come to realize that Ginny had had a point. After filling Greg in on everything the next morning, each decided to make an effort, in his own way, to include Blaise more and show him they were still his friends.

Draco hurried through dinner on Friday night so he could meet up with Blaise. They'd planned to spend the evening practicing quidditch and just relaxing together. Dinner had been uneventful, except for the chatter of students making weekend plans and bemoaning the homework that had to get done by Monday. As he was not included in the conversations around him, it was relatively easy to eat quickly. He heard Ron talking about a party in Gryffindor tower and wondered what Hermione would be like at a normal house party. Laughing at his inability to think about much else but her, he gathered his things and made his way out of the hall.

"Wotcher, Cous!"

Draco jerked to a halt mid-step and turned to see his cousin with her hair her favorite shade of blue. He glanced around the hallway and saw they were alone and straightened defensively.

"Nymphadora," he nodded stiffly, but politely.

She laughed, "You've sure got the Black family haughtiness down." When he raised an eyebrow, she continued, "Relax. Walk with me."

He glanced back at the doorway to the Great Hall and hoped someone, anyone, would come out to give him an excuse to say no. When no one did, he nodded and followed her down the hall and out of the doors leading to the courtyard. She remained quiet as they walked, but her eyes darted around vigilantly and her wand rested in her hand. Draco wondered if she realized how tense she looked.

When they reached the wall of the courtyard she spun around and jumped onto the low wall. Pulling her legs up under her, she smiled, "Cop a squat."

"Uh, what?" he asked.

"It means sit down," she laughed at his confusion.

He sat, but continued to stare at her in silence as he wondered what she wanted to say to him.

"So, what's up?" she asked finally.

"Huh?"

"I asked, wha…"

Draco rolled his eyes, "I know what you said. I meant, why?"

Tonks shrugged her shoulders, "Seemed like the time. We've been sidestepping each other since school started."

Draco waited for her continue and when she didn't he cleared his throat nervously, "Uh, did you have something you wanted to say to me?"

"No," she shook her head and then looked off in the distance as she continued, "I just, well, I've seen you, watched you. Remus keeps telling me to leave you be, but I never could leave well enough alone. Darn! He's right, Teddy does get it from me. Anyway, I wanted to see how you're doing?"

Draco looked at her contemplatively for a long while before he asked, "Why?"

"Because I'm your teacher?"

When he lifted an eyebrow at her, she laughed, "Fine. Because your mother wanted to know."

"My moth…huh? Why would she ask you?" he asked.

Again she shrugged, "Well, she didn't, not directly. She was talking to Mama and she…"

"Mama?" Draco asked before he could stop himself.

"My mother. You know, your mother's sister?" Tonks laughed. "Anyway, they were talking and Mama said she, your mother, seemed to really miss you and kept wondering if you were doing alright. So, she, my mother, asked me. And, when I said I really didn't know I thought she would hit the roof."

He couldn't stop his immediate teasing retort, "Afraid of your mommy?"

Tonks smiled at him a little as she leaned in, "Imagine your mother's, uh, sternness mixed with dear Auntie Bella's temper."

Draco swallowed and nodded, "Gotcha. And, uh, just tell her I'm fine."

"You could write her," Tonks suggested.

Draco nodded, but didn't comment as a little boy toddled out into the courtyard yelling, "Mama Mama Mama", as Professor Lupin hurried after him.

"Theodore, get back here!"

"Mama!"

Draco almost laughed when the toddler fell face first on the ground and then got up and looked around as if to see who had pushed him.

"Oh, Teddy," Tonks said as she rushed to him and picked him up in a tight hug. When he felt his mother's arms around him, Teddy smiled and ducked his head into her neck, as Remus Lupin limped up to them.

"Sorry, he slipped away from the table and I didn't realize it until I saw him at the doorway," he explained as he leaned in to kiss his wife.

"No worries," she answered with a smile. "Besides, I think he needs to meet someone."

Draco glanced around to see who she might be referring to before he realized that he was that someone. His stomach dropped a little as the small family turned to face him. Before he could run away as was his first instinct, they were in front of him and Tonks had turned the little dark-haired boy toward him.

"Teddy, this is your cousin, Draco. Draco, meet Teddy," she smiled proudly at her son.

"Hello," Draco said awkwardly to the little boy.

Tonks continued to smile at her son, "Can you say hello to Draco?"

Teddy looked at him and shouted, "DWAKE!" and then laughed and clapped for himself.

Remus and Tonks laughed with him, and even Draco couldn't suppress a small smile at the child's antics. Then Teddy launched himself at Draco, who froze in shock when he caught him. He saw the werewolf take a half step towards them, but his attention was on the small laughing body he held in his arms. When Teddy squealed happily and slapped his small hands against Draco's cheeks, as he chanted, "Dwake, Dwake, Dwake," Draco didn't notice his body relaxing. He didn't feel the smile that lit his face. He didn't feel the look of awe on his face. And, he didn't think of letting go of the child.

No, as he looked down into the happy, accepting face of his youngest cousin, all he could think was '_He just came right to me like I was a normal person. Children are supposed to be able to tell bad people right off, right? Maybe I'm not so bad, after all. Maybe there is hope for me.'  
_

xxxxxx

…_so, we sat there and talked for a while longer. I know many people came out and wondered what was going on, me being with them, and Teddy being on my lap and all, but whatever. No one interrupted us. And, you know what I realized, Mother? I didn't care. It felt so…right. Does that make any sense? I mean, after all these years, it was like things just felt right. Of course, it wasn't all easy the whole time, her husband, __the werewo__ Professor Lupin, didn't say much. And, he watched me and Teddy like I was going to do something to the boy for the first little while. But, we stayed there for almost an hour and it was so, I don't want to hurt your feelings in any way when I say this, but comfortable by the end. Tonks even gave me a quick hug before she picked up Teddy and they left. Mother, it was so… Never mind. I just hope you are getting the same feelings when __your sister__ Aunt Andromeda comes by to visit. I think I would like to meet her properly. Maybe over Christmas break?_

Anyway, no one said much about it later. Except, I did hear from Pansy that some of her friends thought I looked pretty good holding Teddy. And, there has been one girl that I have noticed smiling at me a bit more. So, maybe…

Oh gosh, I am sorry, I didn't mean for this letter to get so long, three feet, wow. I guess I really did have a bit to tell you and I apologize again for taking so long to do so. I will now let you go back to whatever you were doing. And, I hope you write soon. I have to get down to dinner. We re-sort our seats tonight and I finally get away from Weasley!

I miss you, too, Mother.

Yours with great affection,  
Draco

Getting off of his bed, Draco carefully rolled up the parchment as he walked over to his desk and sealed it with the Malfoy crest. Then he called his eagle owl from the window, where it rested with its beak tucked in its wing. Just as he was about to tie it to the bird's leg, he was seized with a sudden impulse. Deciding to go with it, he smiled softly as he once again took up his quill. When he finished writing along the edge of the letter's seam he tied it to the bird's leg and went to the window to send it out before he changed his mind.

As the bird's wings spread the words _I love you_ glittered back at him and he smiled as the bird took off.

xxxxxx

At the opposite end of the castle Hermione sat in the common room she shared with Parvati and pulled out her beloved journal and a pen. She was alone and knew she would be until dinner, as Parvati and Theo normally stayed in the all-house common room together until the last possible minute before dinner. She smiled as she thought of them and flipped to the last entry in her book. Her eyes popped open wide as she realized it had been days since she had written anything. So many things had happened that she didn't want to forget that she shook her head in wonder that she hadn't written any of it.

She sighed, took a sip of her tea, and pushed her hair back.

"What to write about first," she mused aloud. "Oh yeah!"

_Today is the last day of September and so much has happened since I last wrote. Harry and Ginny are still going strong and they are so much better than before. He's relaxed a lot. It's like he was always on guard, just waiting for the next "thing" to happen. And, since it hasn't, he's gotten to just be Harry again. I think it helped that Ginny got really busy with all her Head duties and planning for the Halloween Ball. He hasn't been able to hover so much. And, since they couldn't be together all the time, they started scheduling time together, kind of like dating on a schedule. ____ Weird, but it is working for them. I've never seen Ginny happier._

And, Ron and I are still doing fine and are actually closer than ever. I know it's weird, but I don't even miss being with him that way. I am glad we never went all the way. I think that would have made things too strange afterward. But, as we didn't, it's almost like we can ignore the five months we were a couple. I should probably be more upset about my first real relationship ending with little to no fanfare, but I have come to realize that some things are just not meant to be.

And, it seems Ron has finally noticed Pansy! He hasn't realized how strong her feelings for him are, but at least he's started talking to her and stuff in the halls and all-house common room. They got paired in Charms yesterday, so we shall see. It's funny to see how nervous she is around him all the time and he pretends to take no notice. I wonder if that's how we looked to people? Hmmm

Charms class is actually the reason I am writing tonight, I guess. The partnering of everyone was done by Prof. Flitwick and I don't know what he was thinking with some of the matches, I mean Millicent and Blaise? Really? She's almost a squib when it comes to Charms. He is going to have to do all the work there. But, anyway, Harry and Ginny were paired, as usual. Luna was put with Greg (their practices should be funny), Parvati and Theo (who are still going strong, by the way) (note to self – write about their first date to Hogsmeade!!), and I got (sigh) Draco Malfoy. Again. First, Potions and now Charms.

Why? Why? Why? I mean, we've been more friendly to one another since the party. He tries to strike up conversations now and then about stuff not class-related. And, would you believe I, the braniac, the calm, level-headed one, am usually so flustered I can barely speak to him. Sigh again! This crush, or feelings, or whatever I have for him at getting in the way of my school work! I find myself not paying attention in the classes he's not in, as I get lost in thoughts of him and what he might be doing or thinking.

Still, Potions has actually gone amazingly well. He pulls his own weight and is a really good partner, although we don't talk much during class. I have caught him staring at me quite a bit and Pansy says he's still interested, but since the flower, nothing…DARN ALL THIS SILLY SIGHING! I feel so stupidly girly around him all of a sudden. I mean, he's Draco Malfoy for crying out loud! What is wrong with me this year?! I can't stop it. A few weeks ago I didn't know what I was feeling or thinking about him, and I was mostly okay with letting it go. But, then he acted so different at the dance at my house. And, the way he looked at me…

As each day passes I see more and more of a guy I never knew was there. He can be so sweet and funny. He's loyal to his friends and honest to a fault. It's strange that someone so perfectly Slytherin can also be so…well, not Slytherin-like. It doesn't hurt that he's, to use Vati's term "hot as sin." He's also really smart. If he had used his brains for our side during the war…

Oh! Speaking of smart, I just found out that Greg has a photographic memory! Who knew?!

Anyway, all this is not to say that Draco (yes, I've even stopped stuttering over his name) doesn't still have his faults. He most certainly does. He's still arrogant, can be rude, and seems to delight in pushing Harry and Ron's buttons. But, he no longer attacks them outright really. Today, he even kind of defended me. We were in Transfiguration and Blaise, who has actually been loads better lately, must have been having a bad day. He kept changing ink pools into small pools of mud. All the while he was going on and on about the importance of keeping wizarding history correct and how the pureblood families should be in charge of it because they've been around the longest and have kept the best records. Blah blah blah. It was ridiculous and everyone had had enough after a while. Even Theo, normally the last one to react to anything, was rolling his eyes at Blaise.

Then Blaise reached out and knocked over my ink pot, spilling it all over the desk and me. Before I could clean it up, he turned it into mud and laughed, "Inside, outside, who can tell the difference." I was outraged, but before I could sputter a word it was gone, vanished by Draco. I was in shock, but he didn't even notice as he got in Blaise's face. "That's enough, dammit. Leave her alone and grow the hell up!" I wasn't sure whether to thank him and/or applaud, and you could see by the looks on everyone else's faces that they didn't know what to do either. But, before anyone could do anything, Tonks stepped in. Draco wouldn't look at me after that, and hasn't spoken to me since.

I just don't get men! I didn't do anything. I didn't make him defend me! Sheesh!

And, now I have to partner with him in Charms tomorrow. Ginny, Vati and I talked about it a little after class, and they said it's because he's embarrassed. But, I have no idea why he would be. Oh crap! Dinner! I have to go. We're changing tables tonight. YEAH!!! No more Blaise giving me heartburn! ____

Oh yeah, I almost forgot…Parvati and Theo. It was so cute!!! We had our first Hogsmeade trip the weekend before last and were in the Three Broomsticks having drinks and lunch. They were sitting together at the end of the table sharing a plate of chips and some ketchup dripped on her shirt. Theo, obviously not thinking, reached over to try and help her clean it up. It was quite humorous. But, then Greg joked that Theo should make an honest woman of Vati if he was going to be groping her in public and they both froze. They were sitting staring at each other and the rest of us got really quiet, kind of embarrassed for both of them, I guess. Then, Theo just blurted out, "Be my girlfriend." Before I could blink Vati was nodding and hugging him and they were smiling and kissing and we were all cheering. It was quite silly, but so sweet. They were never far apart before, but now they're basically inseparable. They're so happily in love.

I want that.

With yet another sigh, Hermione closed her book, magicked it back up to her room and stood to go to dinner. She nodded at herself in the mirror and turned back to grab her lip gloss from her bag. Thanks to Parvati's lessons her hair was more manageable now and fell in softer waves down her back. She still had a full head of curls, but with a simple spell, it became softer and smoother, and she didn't get tangles nearly as often. Parvati had tried to get her to wear a lot more makeup, but she simply couldn't be bothered to take the time, regardless of the amount of attention she got from several of her male classmates. Lip gloss and her hair were all she had the patience to handle each day.

After applying the sheer reddish color, she took one final glance at herself, adjusted the bow holding back her hair and left. When she arrived at the Great Hall the site that greeted her reminded her immediately of their first night back at school. All the students stood along the walls and all the teachers along the front. She saw Ginny, Harry and Pansy standing close by and headed in their direction with a wave.

xxxxxx

Draco turned to watch her cross the room. He admitted to himself that he had been looking for her; waiting for her to appear. Most of his day, even in his embarrassment from the Charms debacle, had been spent watching her hair sway under the little green bow she wore in it or looking for the bow in the halls between classes. Part of him wondered if, and partially hoped, it was some kind of sign from her to him. But, since he'd seen her wear every other color in her hair, too, recently, he shrugged the thought away.

When she smiled and waved in the other direction he looked across the hall to see Ginny, Potter and Pansy waving back.

"What are you staring at?!" Millicent's voice barked beside him.

Draco flinched and looked down at her, but breathed a silent sigh of relief when he saw her staring up at Greg.

"Nothing, Millie. Nothing. I was just looking around," Greg answered.

Draco held back his nod of agreement when she said, "Yeah, right, Goyle! I saw you watching her again. When are you going to get over her?"

"Shut it," Greg said as he looked away. "I'm over her. We're just friends. And, why do you care?"

Draco looked over at Greg with raised eyebrows. Everyone it seemed, except Greg, could see Millicent Bulstrode was interested in him. She had even started wearing lipstick, even though it was far too bright for her fair skin.

_Not like Hermione's. Hers enhances her lips perfectly and makes me want to…  
_  
Draco's thoughts were interrupted as the doors closed with a small thud and the room of people got quiet.

"Thank you all for your promptness," Professor McGonagall began. "And, thank you for helping make this meal experience a success to date. Your open-mindedness and willingness to try are a testament to your maturity and growth. Now, as you were told at the beginning of the year, we will change seats each month until the winter holidays. Tonight marks that first change. Now, to add some frivolity to the proceedings we have changed the way things will be done. Peyton, er, Professor Mills if you will come forward to explain."

"Thank you, Headmistress. Good evening, everyone. Those of you who have my class know I like to incorporate fun muggle activities where possible. So, I came up with an idea that some of you may recognize. It's a form of a muggle children's game called musical chairs."

About half of the students started laughing and talking, telling those near them who didn't understand about the game, but Professor Mills called them back to attention.

"Okay, I would like all the first and second years to move forward and stand in the rows between the tables. Your Prefects will help you. Come on everyone."

Draco, Blaise, Millicent and Greg watched in confusion as many of the younger students laughingly ran forward to take places around the room. The Prefects moved people around until they formed two circles, one more inside the tables, the other on the outside.

When everyone was in place, Professor Mills stepped forward again, "Okay, normally this game is played in one circle, and there is one less chair than people playing, but as we are all trying to get to dinner, we thought we'd change some of the rules."

The muggleborns and halfbloods who'd played before laughed with her, while the purebloods looked around in confusion.

She continued, "Now, the inner circle is going to go clockwise, while the outer circle goes counterclockwise. As you walk you will hear music. When the music stops you are to claim a chair as quickly as possible. You must sit all the way in the seat to claim it and there can only be three of you at each table, so you may have to run for it. Any questions?"

No one raised a hand and she signaled for the music to begin. As the music played the older students began to laugh and shout along with the younger ones as they volleyed for positions near chairs they wanted to claim should the music stop. Before too long the music stopped and they ran screaming for seats at the closest tables, some pulling friends along with them, others pushing people off of chairs to claim them. Squeals, cries, and shouts were heard all over as they each eventually found seats, with the older students helpfully shouting out directions to them from all around the room.

"That was fantastic!" Professor Mills clapped and the other teachers nodded and laughed. "You guys were great! Now, let's see, which year should go next?"

Most of the students started yelling out there year in hopes of joining in the fun. Even Draco found himself laughing out loud as Millie jumped up and down beside him. "Pick the bloody sevenths! We always have to go last!"

"Okay," she said over the crowd, "sixth and seventh years next."

Cheers and "aws" were heard around the hall as the selected students got into place. Draco sauntered into place, not overly joyful about running around the hall in a silly game, but as a competitive person, ready to go for it. He no longer cared who he sat with, but he knew he wanted to stay in the back of the Hall, so he began planning how to ensure he was there when the music stopped.

"Remember, only three of you to a table. Ready?"

"Ready!" they called as one.

The music began and the students started to move.

"Stick close and we'll end up together," Blaise said over his shoulder.

"But, if there can only be three of us, then…" Greg began only to stop when the music suddenly stopped.

Faster than they could blink the seats on both sides of them filled and they had to run for another table. Millicent slid into a chair and pulled Greg down with her. His bulk knocked the sixth year who had been about to sit there on the floor and he apologized as he helped the girl off the floor. She smiled "No worries!" and ran off to find a seat.

Blaise and Draco had taken off for the back of the hall and wasted precious time. The noise from the laughter and all the students shouting out locations was deafening when Draco spotted the chair he wanted.

"This way!" he called to Blaise as he ran. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harry and Ron aiming for it from their side of the hall. "Move it, Zabini!"

About three tables away from his destination Hermione's bow once again caught his attention from across a table. He turned his head toward her just as she tripped and went down hard. He didn't think as he instinctively hurried around the table to make sure she was okay and allowed Blaise to go on past him. He got to her just as she reached up to grab the back of a chair to pull herself up. Instead he grabbed her waist and pulled her up and out of the line of running students.

"Hermione! Are you all right?" he asked quickly.

"Thanks, I'm fine. I slipped and…Draco?!" she gasped when she finally looked up.

"Um, yeah, I, uh…"

Both stared for a minute before dropping into the chairs beside them. Neither realized what they were doing as they claimed their seats. Draco was still in shock at his own actions and Hermione was trying to figure out where he'd come from so suddenly.

"Wonderful!" Professor Mills' voice rang out, startling them both. "Now the third through fifth years."

The realization that they would be sitting with one another for the next month seemed to finally dawn on them as Hermione's eyes widened, her face lost color, and her mouth dropped open. Draco saw her face and mistook it for the fear he often thought he saw in her eyes when she looked at him.

Neither noticed the music starting up or the other students running around as Draco crossed his arms, leaned back and growled, "I have yet to stab any of my dinner companions with the cutlery, so stop looking so horrified!"

Hermione flinched at his tone, but shook her head, "No, I…"

Her flinch set him off and he hissed, "What is it, dammit? Why are you so scared of me all of a sudden this year? You never backed down before. Hell, you hit me third year!"

He watched her mouth open and close, but nothing came out. In utter defeat he sat forward and ran his hands through his hair before settling his elbows on the table and resting his forehead on his fists. He didn't look at her as he finally confessed, "Look, I know we haven't had the best history, and I know you still think about last year, and what I did and didn't do, but Merlin Hermione, I'm trying here. What do I have to do to make you stop being so afraid of me? I need you to forgive me, but I can't have that if you can't even stand to be in the same space as me. All those newspaper articles talk about your years of bravery, but where is it with me? Why are you so damned scared with me?"

He barely heard her answer over the screams of the running students, "I'm not afraid of you, Draco."

He turned his head to look at her and saw her smiling a little at him. As he stared into her expressive brown eyes, and smelled her unique scent, he found the courage to say, "I am sorry. I never said it before, but I am. For everything. I know it's not enough after all these years, all you've been through, all I put you through, but there it is. I'm sorry, Hermione, for every pain I ever caused you. You didn't deserve it. And, I am deeply ashamed of my words and actions."

She stared at him for a long moment, and then nodded. "Thank you."

He looked away from her as he asked, "So, uh, am I forgiven, at least a little?"

Her small laugh brought his eyes back to hers as she answered, "Yes, of course; a while ago actually. But, thank you for saying it. I wouldn't have been able to work with you all this time, if I still felt the same way about you now as I did before."

He laughed a little, "Well, you hated me before, so it could only go up from there."

She giggled and he smiled. Then she looked away and started biting her lower lip; a habit he recognized as nerves. "So, if you no longer hate me and you aren't scared of me, what are you nervous about?"

Her eyes flew to his and she flushed as she stammered, "No. I…well, we…uh, I mean, um…"

She was saved from answering as the hall quieted and Professor McGonagall once again stepped forward. "Thank you, Professor Mills. That was fun for us teachers to watch. How about all of you?"

The students cheered and clapped in appreciation for a minute before the Headmistress raised her hand for silence once more. "Thank you all for playing along. Enjoy your dinner as you get to know the members of your new table."

The hall once again filled with noise as the food appeared and everyone settled down to eat and talk. Draco watched Hermione avoid looking at him as she looked around for her friends. To give her time to relax he did the same.

Turning his head away he looked to the table he had originally aimed for and saw Blaise sitting with Potter. Neither looked happy with the arrangement and Draco wondered what had happened to Weasley. Looking for the telltale hair he first found Ginny sitting with Luna and Pansy. They were all smiling and chatting happily with the others at their table. Before he could look away, Ginny looked over and saw him. He saw her eyes widen when she noticed Hermione next to him and then watched her get the attention of the other two women. When all three sets of eyes fixed on him and Hermione he wondered what they would do. He laughed to himself when they all turned to one another, grinned, and then leaned in to start talking over each other.

With a shake of his head he looked back toward the front of the hall and saw Greg and Millie at a table with a bunch of people he didn't recognize. He felt a bit sorry for the table of non-Slytherins who would have to get used to Millie's acerbic tongue. Next, he found Theo sitting only a table away with his girlfriend and briefly wondered how they'd gotten to that side of the room so quickly, when they'd started at the other side.

Draco felt someone staring at him from behind and finally turned to see Weasley at a table two over from them. He and Ron held their stare for a long moment and Draco wondered what was going through Ron's mind, as for the first time in Draco's recollection, Ron's face was blank.

"Draco," Hermione's voice brought him back to their table. He turned to look at her and was met with the expectant faces of the other people at their table. He looked to Hermione for why. "We're introducing ourselves," she prompted.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Draco Malfoy. Slytherin. Seventh year, quidditch captain and seeker."

"And, what's your favorite subject, hobby, food and color?" a Ravenclaw boy whose voice was obviously changing squeaked at him.

"My fav…what?" he asked in confusion.

"I just told them mine. We're going in age order," Hermione offered helpfully.

"Oh, okay," he said to her. Then he looked at the others and answered, "Subject, potions. I guess flying would be my favorite hobby. And, uh, chicken cordon bleu would be my favorite food."

"And, your favorite color?" she asked softly beside him.

He turned his head to look at her and smiled a little as his eyes travelled from hers to her hair, "The many shades of brown."

He smirked when Hermione looked shocked, but pleased and blushed slightly. Draco turned to the boy to his left. "And, you are?"

xxxxxx

"…but, he's a muggle, so he can't come to school here. I just hope we stay friends with me being…"

"Let's get out of here," Millicent said over the young boy who had been talking at their table.

Greg looked apologetically at the boy before he turned to her, "Millie, Josh was speaking."

"So?" she asked, clearly not caring. "I'm done eating and I'm bored."

"Well, I'm not done, yet. You can go though," he said as he picked up his fork.

He heard her sigh and looked back at the boy who had been speaking, "You were saying?"

"Oh, um, yeah…"

Greg tuned out the sounds of the boy's story, but smiled and nodded to make it look like he was interested. Beside him Millicent fidgeted and sighed. He wondered why she simply didn't leave if she was so bored.

When the boy finished his story and two others started a debate on which teacher was prettier, Peyton or Tonks, Greg finished his juice and sat back.

"Okay, Millie, I'm finished. Want to leave now?"

"Yes!" she said as she got up quickly and took his arm in her hand to pull him up.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked as he pulled away.

"Nothing yet," she muttered.

"What was that?" he asked as he followed her from the hall.

She kept walking and didn't answer until they were outside of the doors and headed down the hall. Then she stopped and turned to look up at him.

"Are you a virgin?" she asked without preamble.

Greg turned red and looked around to make sure no one had heard her. Then he took her arm and steered her out of the hallway and straight out the front doors of the castle. She pulled and sputtered at him the entire way, but he didn't stop until they were alone on the grass away from the castle where they couldn't be overheard.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he seethed in her face. "Are you really that mean or do you just not get that embarrassing people is wrong?"

She finally succeeded in pulling her arm away, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"How could you ask me something like that? Why?" he demanded. "Is there some sort of bet going on or something? I will not be made fun of dammit!"

She poked him in the chest as she yelled up at him, "I wasn't making fun of you, you big oaf! I was trying to get you to sleep with me."

"And, that's how you ask?" he shouted down into her face.

"Well, I never propositioned a person before, so forgive me if I wasn't all ladylike about it!"

He stared at her in confusion and his mouth opened and closed several times as he tried to formulate a thought.

"So," she demanded, "are you?"

Greg's face flushed and he stammered, "Why? Are you?"

"Don't be such a damned sissy! Answer the question," she said with her hands on her hips.

"Well, I, uh…"

"So, that's a yes," she nodded. "No matter. I think we can still figure out what goes where."

Before he could do more than stare open-mouthed at her, she grabbed his arm and began hauling him back towards the castle. She got him halfway across the courtyard before his brain kicked in.

"Wait! What are you…where are we….wait!" he planted his feet.

"We're going to have sex, you idiot," she said and continued pulling on his arm.

"But…but…why? Where?" he stuttered. "Wait!"

She stopped pulling his arm and glared up at him, "Wait for what?"

"Millie, we're not even dating. Why would we go have se…do that?" he asked in disbelief.

"God, you're slower than they say," she sighed. "Okay, let try this. I'm a virgin. I don't want to be. I like you. I think you'll be great in bed and I want to do it now."

"Whoa, slow down," he said as he moved to the steps and sat down heavily. "You like me?"

"Duh!" she rolled her eyes. "Why would I want to sleep with you if I didn't?"

"I…I don't know," he answered honestly.

"What? You don't want me? I'm not smart enough for you? My hair too light and straight?" she pouted. "I knew you weren't over Granger!"

"What's Hermione got to do with this?" he asked, genuinely confused.

His eyes widened when she crossed her arms over her chest and actually looked sad. He'd seen her happy or angry. She'd never been one for a great range of emotion, so her small show of vulnerability shocked him. "You stare at her all the damn time. And, everyone knows you were interested in her when we got back to school. I thought you would get over it, so I waited. Hell, Greg, I've liked you for three years. Why do you think I hung around all you guys all the time?"

He stood and looked down at her, "You really like me?"

"What?" she snapped, "now you can't hear clearly?"

"I just asked," he said as he put his hands in his pockets and looked down.

"Fine, I'll say it again if it will make you feel better. I, Millicent Armagia Bulstrode, like you, Gregory Daniel Goyle, and have for a long time. Now, can we go have sex?"

He wanted to laugh at the almost hopeful look on her face, but stopped himself. "How about we start a little slower than that, Millie. I, uh, like you, too, but I'm not uh, ready for that yet. I mean, I am, but I kinda wanted it to be a bit more, uh…look, maybe we can like date for a bit and get to know each other, like as, you know, not just friends."

"You're such a girl," she said with a laugh.

"And, you're such a guy!" he said, a bit offended.

She saw the look on his face and realized she wasn't making the impression she wanted to make, so she changed tactics.

"Okay, I'm sorry, Greg. I shouldn't have pushed you like that. We can date, if that's what you want."

His relieved smile was her reward, but she wanted a little more. She stepped up on the steps, so she stood face to face with him.

"I'm going to kiss you now," she said.

He blinked, "Oh, okay."

She laughed and took his face in her hands and pulled him forward. His lips were soft and tentative, but she leaned in to move things along. She tilted her head and slid her hands up his chest until she reached his wide shoulders. Then, she mashed her chest against his and moved her hands into his hair. Hearing his surprised murmur, she smirked against his lips. Running her tongue softly along his lower lip made him gasp and she took the opportunity to slide it past his lips. He jumped a bit and she held on tighter, not letting him go. She almost pulled back to jump for joy when his hands finally moved to her waist and pulled her closer and his tongue finally started to slide against hers. Only when they needed to come up for air did she let go of his head to allow him to move back a bit.

"Not bad, Greg, not bad," she smiled.

"Thanks," he mumbled as twin spots of red appeared on his cheeks. When she pulled on his hand to draw him back into the castle he nervously asked, "Where are we going?"

She laughed, "Don't worry. I won't force you to do anything tonight. We can just talk or something."

"Okay," he said and followed the witch into the castle with a stunned look on his face.

xxxxxx

"It's not okay!" Harry shouted over his yelling girlfriend across her common room. "And, I don't know how you and Ron can stand to watch them…"

"She's OUR friend, Harry! Some of us WANT her to be happy!" Ginny shouted back as she slammed her books into a pile.

"I want her happy, too, dammit," he snapped. Then he took a breath to bring himself under control, "But, it's…"

Ginny whirled around to face him, her face almost as red as her hair, "But, what?! She's only allowed to be happy when you say so? She's your friend, not your puppet!"

"I didn't say that!" he said as he plowed his hands through his already messed up hair. "Look, why don't we just let it go? It's not…"

"No!" she snapped, her hands fisting on her hips. "We're finishing this tonight. I've listened to you go on and on about this for two weeks straight! Enough already. Heck, they haven't even done anything, yet!"

"What would they be doing?!" he exclaimed, his face a mask of horror.

Ginny sighed and put her face in her hands as she tried to calm down. "God! Sometimes you're as stupidly stubborn as Zabini!"

Ever since the night two weeks ago when Draco and Hermione had ended up together at dinner, they'd relaxed around one another a lot. Between their meals, their shared classes, and the two class partnerships they had, they were beginning to seem inseparable. They hadn't done anything specific or talked about where things stood between them yet, but they did talk. They shared laughs and stories of their early childhoods. And, they worked together harmoniously, proving a formidable pairing in both classes.

As each day passed, and Hermione got happier and more comfortable with Draco, Harry got more sullen and angry. He just couldn't get over the history he'd shared with his nemesis, and he had no idea how everyone else was able to do so. And, because of he couldn't accept Draco in their lives; he felt a rift start to form with his friends. He and Ron argued about it in their rooms. His and Hermione's conversations felt stiff and almost unfriendly most of the time. And, he and Ginny had had several rows about it; this night's being the longest and loudest. He was tired of fighting everyone. And, he was way-past-done being compared to Blaise Zabini.

Finally, he flounced on the couch and said, "Gin? I'm sorry."

She leaned back against the table and crossed her arms, "About what exactly?"

He looked at her angry face and saw the raised brow. "I hate all this fighting."

"Well, it's not all that much fun for me, either, Harry," she sighed. "Why can't you just let it go?"

"I don't know, Gin," he sighed as he leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes. "I just can't. He's been a pain in my ass since the day I stepped foot in this school. He was arrogant, rude, and mean. And, it just never stopped."

"But, he…" she began.

"I know, I know, he's changed. He's not the same person. Whatever. I can't seem to make myself care. I know he isn't the same jerk he was before. But, that doesn't mean I have to all of a sudden become his buddy. I can't forget all he's done, not like the rest of you."

"But, you've forgiven everyone else," she reasoned as she moved across the room to sit next to him.

"Yeah, mostly," he agreed. "But, he and Snape…after Professor Dumbledore…I just can't."

Ginny put her hand on his thigh, "Harry, I know what you saw on that tower, but you also know the truth of it now. And, besides, they're alive."

"I know," he said as he stared moodily at the fire, "I'm reminded in every DADA and Potions class."

Ginny was quiet for a while and then turned to look at him. "Harry, I am going to suggest something and I want you to think about it. Don't answer just yet, just promise to think about it, okay?"

"I'm not playing nice with Malfoy," he snapped before thinking. When she just sighed irritably at him, he turned his head to look at her and took her hand in his as he smiled guiltily, "Sorry. Okay. What is it?"

"I think," she began nervously. Then she cleared her throat and rushed her sentence, "I think you need to set up some time to talk to Professor Snape."

When his eyebrows shot almost up to his hairline, she continued quickly, "Just listen. I don't pretend to understand why you can't get past this hatred you have of Draco, but I also remember the past, Harry. I know you didn't hate him this much before that night. You didn't like him, but you never hated him. It's just…well, you refuse to talk to Professor Dumbledore about, well, much of anything really. And, you barely talk to me. I just think maybe you need to get some answers, get some things off your chest, to start to get some of the closure the counselors keep talking about. And, I think maybe it could start with him."

She waited to see his reaction; sure he was going to explode any second. Her eyes widened in surprise when he looked at her and then looked back to the fire silently. When the silence lasted a bit too long, she sighed and he turned his eyes back to hers.

"I'll think about it, okay?" he asked softly. When she smiled and nodded, he quickly added, "No promises, Gin. But, maybe…maybe you're right."

"Okay. I love you, you stubborn man," she said as she leaned across him to give him a hug.

"Back at you," he smiled.

The silence ensued again, but this time neither minded. In fact, Ginny was so tired from the long day and their fight that she started to drift off against his shoulder. Harry wiggled into a more comfortable position and adjusted his arm around her. He leaned down and kissed her hair and then her lips when she raised her smiling face to his.

"Sleepy?" he murmured against her lips.

Her smile turned to a mischievous grin, "Not at the moment."

With a laugh he pushed her back against the couch and leaned over her as their lips met in a more full kiss. He felt her whole body relax against his and lowered himself more fully over her. Their lips didn't part as their hands slid under each other's shirts and twin moans sounded in the room.

The sudden slamming of the portrait door shocked them and their heads shot up to see Blaise sneering at them from the entrance.

"For magic's sake, Weasley, take it to your room! I have to sit on that couch!" he grunted.

"Hello, to you, too, Mr. Cheery," she answered grumpily as she moved out from under Harry and adjusted her shirt.

Harry grunted as he got up, "Pleasure as always, Zabini."

"Screw you, Potter," Blaise smiled pleasantly. Then he wiped the fake smile off of his face, "Weasley, we've got rounds."

"Coming, coming," she grumbled.

She went over to the table to get her wand and robes while Harry gathered his things. Blaise stood with his arms crossed, huffing loudly as they weren't moving fast enough for his liking. When they all finally met at the portrait, Blaise just rolled his eyes and stepped back out of the opening. Ginny and Harry shared a grin behind his back and then they took off down the hall.

When they got to the end of the hallway, Blaise stopped, turned to the two of them and sneered at Harry, "We don't need an escort, Potter. I think we can handle it from here."

Harry ignored Blaise completely, as he did every time he walked out with them. Turning his back on Blaise he leaned down and kissed Ginny, slowly and thoroughly, drawing it out for both their pleasure and Blaise's irritation.

"Talk to you in the morning," he whispered.

Ginny nodded and ran her hand over his unruly hair, "Promise me you'll think about what we talked about?"

"Oh, you actually talked? Wasn't that hard with his tongue down your throat?" Blaise sneered from behind Harry.

They continued to ignore him and Harry nodded, "I will. Just don't go holding your breath, okay?"

"Okay," she laughed a little. "Love you."

They both tuned out Blaise's gagging noises.

"Love you," he answered with another quick kiss. "Night."

"Night, Harry," she called as he turned to walk the other way down the hall with a wave.

"Hey! You didn't give me a proper snog goodnight, Potter!" Blaise called, pretending to be affronted.

Ginny rolled her eyes and turned the opposite way down the hall, "Coming, Jerkwad?"

"Aw, honey, you know how I love your pet names for me," he answered snarkily.

xxxxxx


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 20**

Pansy watched Draco and Hermione from her seat next to Luna. She saw Draco turn and say something to Hermione that made her blush, and Pansy grinned widely.

"Well, would you look at that!" Ginny laughed. "After all this time, all it took was a muggle children's game to get them to spend time together."

Pansy laughed, "I can't wait to hear Hermione's reaction to this."

"She'll be inwardly crazed, but will try to appear as if she's not freaking out about it," Luna predicted. "We all saw her face in Charms. She's at a loss."

"I know," Ginny agreed. "It must be so weird for her."

"What do you mean?" Pansy asked as she reached for a piece of chicken.

Luna forked up some peas, "She's used to being in control and knowing everything. She's completely out of her element with men, though. Like being a nargle expert in a room full of wrackspurts, I expect."

"What's a nargle?" a young Slytherin girl asked from beside Ginny.

Ginny laughed, "Oh, uh, just a small creature, nothing to worry about. So, tell me about yourselves."

Each of the students at their table took turns introducing themselves, but Pansy tuned them out as she saw Ron's table. She looked at each of the people and saw a pretty blonde fourth year she recognized as a Ravenclaw quidditch player, a pair of dainty and dark-haired twins from Hufflepuff. Then, to her horror, Lavender Brown and Padma Patil. Realization brought on despair.

"They're all girls!"

"Who's all girls?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"His whole table!" Pansy answered indignantly.

Knowing Pansy's fixation on Ron, both Ginny and Luna looked around quickly trying to locate Ron's table.

"Ugh! Lavender?" Ginny exclaimed.

"The twins are very pretty," Luna added.

"Thank you, Luna. I hadn't noticed!" Pansy snapped.

Luna smiled benignly, "You're welcome."

Ginny rolled her eyes and stretched to look at the rest of the people at Ron's table. "Well, at least the rest are children."

Luna took up a bit of her potatoes before she added, "If it helps Cindy and Sandy are both gay and Ron really can't stand Marietta. She always scores on him and rubs it in. Not to mention she betrayed the DA back in fifth year."

Pansy turned to Luna with hope in her eyes, "And, the blonde?"

Luna shrugged, "No idea."

Ginny reached out and patted Pansy's hand, "She can't hold a candle to you, Pans."

"Thanks," Pansy mumbled, her eyes trained on Ron.

A third year Hufflepuff at their table interrupted to ask Ginny a question about gaining and losing house points and Luna had started to hum to herself. Pansy sighed and pushed her food around her plate dejectedly.

A few moments later Luna leaned over and said softly, "Actually, I don't think you have anything to worry about. He's too busy watching Draco and Hermione's every move to pay any attention to the pretty, little blonde."

Pansy turned to see that Luna was right and smiled when she noted the sheepish look on Hermione's face and the pleased look on Draco's. Then, as if attached by magnets, her eyes were pulled back to Ron and she sighed heavily.

xxxxxx

"So, when are you going to stop staring daggers at your last ex and focus on your first?" Lavender purred beside Ron.

He stopped himself from pushing her hand off his arm and glanced in her general direction, "I was listening to you."

"Well, what did I just say then?" she asked huffily.

"Um, something about class," he guessed.

Lavender rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Which class?"

"Does it matter," Ron mumbled under his breath. Then he turned to fully face her, "Look Lav, I…"

She interrupted him with a smile and leaned closer, pushing her chest up with her arms to enhance her cleavage, "I know. You're not really over her. I knew the rumor that you broke up with her was a lie. Oh, my poor Ronnykins. I'm here for you."

"No, Lavender, it wasn't a rumor. I did break up with her," Ron assured her. "And, I thank you for wanting to, um, be there for me, but, I uh…"

"You're just not ready to date yet?" She sighed. Then she leaned closer and ran her hand down his arm to his hand, "That's okay, Won Won, I'll wait for you."

Ron tried not to look horrified as he sputtered, "Uh, Lavender, I…um…"

"Hi, Ron," a soft voice interrupted from behind. "I, uh…"

He turned to see a flushed face Pansy standing behind his chair, her eyes moving from his face to Lavender's hand on his. He was so happy that he didn't have to continue his conversation with Lavender that he turned and stood with wide smile.

"Hey Pansy, what can I do for you?"

He almost laughed when her eyes lifted to his and her blush deepened, but he kept his face as clear as possible. He knew she was interested in him. How could he not? She placed himself in his path as often as possible and seemed to be everywhere he was. He'd even seen her watching his quidditch practices from a window in the castle. She was pretty, smart, and seemed to be quite a good friend to Hermione and his sister. He hadn't paid any attention to her before this year, hadn't given her any thought at all until she'd tried to turn Harry in the previous year. Then he hadn't given her more thought than to hate her for what she'd done.

Over the summer months his anger had faded during his many talks with Harry and Hermione. He'd come back to school hoping to see changes, good changes. But, he'd never given any thought to making new friends or opening himself up to new experiences. He'd planned for things to just be better.

Getting to know Pansy and her gang of Slytherins hadn't been in his plans at all. But, as he'd admitted to Harry, he was glad he'd found out that both Greg and Theo weren't such bad blokes. He gave no thought whatsoever to Millicent, but had been surprised by the other two males of their group. Blaise, the only Slytherin he'd ever thought might not be evil, had become the world's largest ass and the "blonde ferret" had morphed into some sort of new thing. He wasn't the egocentric prat he had been in the past, and it was getting harder by the day to dislike him. The three things that kept Ron from actually befriending Draco were their shared history, Draco's interest in Hermione, and Harry's continued hatred and mistrust of him.

Pansy had been the biggest surprise. She made him feel things he'd hoped to feel with Hermione. When she turned those dark blue eyes on him he wanted to grant her every wish. And, when she blushed and stammered as she was doing now, he wanted to kiss her shaking lips.

"…so, I thought we could maybe start tonight. If you want, that is. If not, then…"

Ron realized he'd been paying no attention to what she was saying, but took a guess, "Pansy, that sounds great. We can start studying for Charms any time you're ready."

He blinked at the radiant smile on her face as she looked up at him adoringly. He didn't know what he'd done to warrant her interest, but he was glad for whatever it was. He'd let everyone think he was oblivious as he'd sorted through his thoughts on it. He'd also had to check with Hermione to see if she'd be upset with him if he started to date. Their conversation had been awkward as they'd both tried to get the other to admit to wanting to start seeing people first, but they'd done it. Now, he just needed to figure out his next moves.

"I can study anytime, Ro…Ron," she said softly, her eyes never leaving his, her cheeks aflame.

Lavender had finally had enough and put her hand on his arm. She'd already lost Ron to Hermione and she wasn't about to let some Slytherin slut get him. She stood and leaned into his side, "Well, Parkinson, he's eating right now, so you'll just have to wait!"

Pansy's eyes flashed as she turned to Lavender, "Why don't you let him speak for himself, Brown!"

Lavender stepped away from Ron and planted her fists on her narrow hips, "What's it to you, Parkinson?"

Ron saw Pansy pale, but then she lifted her chin to pin the slightly taller, but slimmer woman with her intense stare, "What's it to you, Brown?!"

Ron glanced around to see several students staring as the women's voices rose. He'd never had two women fight over him before and a part of him wanted to make sure everyone saw, but the other part was embarrassed at their display. The worst thing Hermione had done to him out of jealousy was send birds to swarm his head, but at least she hadn't done it in front of the whole school. "Uh, ladies…"

Both ignored him as they stepped closer to one another.

"Well, as his friend, a fellow Gryffindor, and someone who happens to know him _intimately_, I think I have a right to protect him from greedy, money-grubbing, Voldemort-loving bitches like you!"

"How dare you!" Pansy screeched.

"Oh, I dare, you late side-switching skank!" Lavender screamed back in her face. "Do you think everyone doesn't know what you're up to? Cozying up to Ginny and Hermione! Pretending to like Ron. We know it's all a setup. You and your pathetic, POOR Drakey Poo planning and scheming. Well, I will not let a former Death Eater and his Slytherin slut, get their claws into my…"

"SHUT. UP. You stupid bitch!" Pansy's voice rang out silencing the screaming woman. She slowly moved closer to Lavender and her voice dropped until it was just a hiss. "You will NOT sully my friendship with Ginny and Hermione by trying to spread your evil lies! They know me and like me, so screw you. And, leave Draco out of this. He hasn't got a damn thing to do with how I feel about Ron! All you want is your prize back! Now, that he's rich and famous and single again, you figure he's all yours again. Well, wrong, Brown! He doesn't belong to anyone! He can figure out who he wants to be with without your help. But, I can assure you he wouldn't go back to you if he was imperiussed! Who knows what diseases he might pick up!"

The sound of Lavender's slap rang across the now silent room. The sight of Pansy Parkinson being slapped by Lavender Brown, as Ron Weasley stood by looking lost as to what to do, would be gossip fodder for days.

The slap, the silence, the teachers coming to their feet, the growl from Lavender, Ron heard none of it. All he heard was the shocked gasp from Pansy as her head was forced to the side. After a month of wondering, Ron's decision was instantly made.

He stepped between the two and pushed Pansy behind him, "If you ever raise a hand to her again, you'll be sorry. Your jealousy, while ego-stroking to me when I was younger, is simply ugly now, Lavender. Leave Pansy alone and grow up."

He turned to Pansy and lifted a gentle hand to her face, "Are you okay?"

Her eyes swam with unshed tears as she nodded. But, before she could speak Lavender stepped forward.

"But, Ronnykins…"

Ron stepped away from her outstretched hand and moved closer to Pansy as he spat, "My name is Ronald. That nickname was silly back then, Lavender. It's just pathetic now."

He put his arm around Pansy's waist and turned to leave the table. Only then did he realize that most of their friends had come to stand near them. His eyes collided with Draco's and held. He felt Pansy stiffen next to him and ran his hand up and down her side a bit to reassure her.

"I think we'll grab something in the all-house common room tonight. Pansy and I need to study after we get her face healed," he said to the group, but his eyes never left Draco's.

Ron refused to look away from the blonde man he'd come to not hate completely. He didn't know what it was he saw in the other man's eyes, but he knew he needed to stand his ground.

Everyone else waited to see what the two former enemies would do. The low murmur of voices was heard all around them as people speculated on what Draco would do to Ron or vice versa.

Finally, Draco, his eyes still on Ron, said softly, "Pansy, do you want to go back to the Slytherin common room instead? We can take care of your face there."

Pansy shook her head and smiled softly at her former fiancée, "No, Draco. Thank you. I think I…Ron will…I'll be fine."

Ron finally broke eye contact to look down at the little witch at his side. When her eyes met his, he smiled softly. But, then he noted the handprint on her cheek and his smile fell as he reached up to slide his finger gently over her cheek, "I'll take care of her."

Without another glance at the stunned faces around him, he walked Pansy out of the doors of the Great Hall. Both maintained their silence as they walked out, unsure what to say, now that they'd practically declared themselves a couple in front of the whole school. It wasn't until they reached the doors of the all-house common room that Pansy finally breached the silence.

"Thank you for what you did back there."

Ron turned to look down into her eyes and his stomach clenched at the adoration he saw in her eyes.

"Don't thank me," he said softly. He took her hand in one of his and ran the other gently over the soft skin of her abused cheek, "If it wasn't for me, it wouldn't have happened."

She shook her head, "No, it…"

"It was my fault, Pansy," he said over her, "because I spent too much time thinking about you and me, but not doing anything." When she gasped, he smiled a little, "You thought I didn't notice? I did, Pansy. I noticed. I just wasn't sure what to do about it."

Pansy looked up at him when he didn't say anything else. He was looking at her as she'd hoped he would. "And, now?"

"And, now," he smiled, "I'm done thinking. I'm ready to see where this goes."

"Really?" she asked.

"Really. But, first, we need to heal that cheek," he answered.

"It's fine. It doesn't even hurt all that much."

Ron lifted a red brow to express his disbelief, but only said, "Well, I don't want her handprint messing up your pretty face any longer, so may I?"

Pansy blushed at the compliment and nodded.

When he'd performed the charms to heal both the swelling and the pain, he smiled down at her, "There. All better. Now there's nothing to distract from those beautiful eyes."

Her mouth dropped open in shock, but he could see the smile forming as he turned away.

"Come on. I missed most of dinner and I'm starving," he said as he took her hand and pushed the doors to the all-house common room open. He heard her happy laugh as he pulled her to the back to order some food from the elf behind the counter.

xxxxxx

Back in the Great Hall food was consumed, but no one really paid much attention to what they ate. The conversations all swirled around speculation on what had occurred in their midst. From her table in the front Parvati stirred her tea and watched Lavender sit dejectedly in her chair. She knew her friend was dying of humiliation from being so publicly rejected.

"I should go talk to her," she said to Theo.

He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, but didn't comment. When she turned to look at him he was frowning and shaking his head.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he mumbled.

"Tell me," she insisted.

He looked at her for a moment and sighed, "It's just depressing. Pansy has done nothing to most of these people. Hell, she never did a thing to anyone until her mistake last year. Now, that's all people know of her. That's all they see and she suffers every day because of it. She's made amends, and she deserves to be happy. Why can't people just leave her alone?"

"Theo," Parvati began, "not everyone thinks like that. Most of us have gotten past it and begun to see who Pansy really is."

He shook his head, "But, most see her, and Draco, and the rest of us, too, I guess, like that. You heard her, 'a former Death Eater and his Slytherin slut'. That's how people see us. That's all they'll ever…"

"No, they, we, don't!" she talked over him. "Yes, Theo, I know there are people whose minds won't change, no matter what, but they don't matter! Can't you see that? The only ones who matter are the ones we love and who love us. There will always be purebloods who hate those with mixed heritage and muggleborns, and, of course, those of us who fought for them. And, there will always be those of us that fought who hate pureblooded bigotry and those that can't let go of it. But, we have to prove them wrong by showing them that blood means nothing. It's who we are and who we prove to be that matters."

He turned and looked into her eyes for a long while before he nodded. Then he grinned and joked, "Says the pureblood to her pureblood boyfriend."

She smiled softly, "Says the very proud blood traitor to her side-switching boyfriend."

He clasped her hand tighter, "Do you think these labels will ever go away, Vati? Will we ever be able to just be us?"

She tightened her grip on his hand as she shook her head, "You're smarter than that, Theo. As long as we have been on this planet people have found a way to make their differences an issue. When they didn't have any, they made them up. Those that want to stay angry and hurtful will never let it die. Those that want to move on will."

"Like Blaise," he said more to himself than her.

She nodded, but didn't answer. Blaise was a sore topic between them and as such, they normally didn't talk about him.

"Go on. Go talk to her," he urged finally. "I'm okay. Just thinking too much, I guess."

"Well, stop and eat your pudding," she smiled softly.

He nodded and she stood to go to her friend. Before she could leave he reached out and grabbed her hand again.

"I love you, Parvati Patil," he said clearly, his eyes searching hers, even as he blushed.

Parvati smiled as tears sprung to her eyes. They'd been together since school started, and it was assumed that they were in love, but neither had actually said it out loud. Without preamble she leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. She ignored the giggles and catcalls from those around her as she straightened and looked him straight in the eye.

"Theodore Nott, I love you, too. Very much."

He grinned happily and gave her one more kiss before she turned, "I have to go talk to Lavender, but I will wait for you after dinner. Maybe we can go for a walk by the lake or something."

"I'll be waiting," he answered with a pleased smile.

As he watched her walk away, admiring the sway of her hips, he shook his head in awe. It amazed him that he had spent seven years at school with his other half and not known it. She, a Gryffindor through and through, a woman who had fought against his family for her beliefs and the lives of her friends, loved him. She was his anchor; his sanity in a sea of change. She'd not only given him a chance, she'd become his closest friend, his confidante, and she owned his heart.

xxxxxx

"No, no, no," Draco said as he readjusted Hermione's arm. Then he added with a teasing smile, "You have to wiggle your arm a bit more. You know. Like a WORM!"

Hermione she rolled her eyes at him and lowered her arm, "You've been just waiting to use that, haven't you, you prat?"

"For weeks," he laughed and nodded.

"Feel better now?" she asked around the smile she was trying to hold back.

"Not yet," he shook his head. "Maybe one or two…hundred more times and I will."

Hermione shook her head and let the smile come. Then she lifted her arm to continue practicing the charm movements they'd been working on for the better part of an hour. They'd met in the all-house common room a couple of hours after dinner to continue to work on their Charms project as they'd been doing for the past couple of weeks.

"I can't believe you held out that long," she commented after a minute. "I was sure you would find a way to tease me about it quite soon after Daddy said it."

Draco looked at her face as she concentrated on her movements and tilted his head thoughtfully, "Hermione?"

"Yeah?" she asked distractedly as she flicked her wrist just-so.

He blew his hair back off his face and asked, "You don't mind, do you? That I still tease you a bit sometimes?"

Her curls swung back and forth as she shook her head, "No, Draco. You don't do it the same way you used to. You're not…"

He watched as her arm stopped moving for a fraction of a second and she winced a little. Then she blew out a breath and went back to practicing as if nothing had happened.

When she didn't seem to want to finish the sentence he prompted her quietly, "What am I not?"

Hermione dropped her arm and turned her head to look at him seriously as she sighed, "I was going to say you're not mean any more."

"And? I thought that would be a good thing." He made it sound like a joke, but the look in his eyes, the tightness of his features and the tension in his body made his vulnerability clear to her.

"It is," she smiled a little at him. The she moved over to sit next to him on couch. They had taken over a quiet corner near the back and as it was so late, there were very few students in the large room with them.

"I just didn't want to bring all that back up again," she confessed, her hands clenched her lap. "I mean, things have…I mean we've been…"

He reached out and put his hand on her clenched ones and her eyes met his. This time though, when her eyes dilated, he wasn't worried that it was fear and smiled a little at her. "I was an ass, Hermione, and I know it. I also know everyone's waiting for me to go back to being that guy. But, I promise you, this is me now. I have no desire to hurt anyone anymore, especially not you."

"I know," she almost whispered. Then she cleared her throat and broke eye contact to glance around nervously, "But, you're…and I'm…Gods! This is ridiculous! Why do I get so stupid around you?!"

Draco was shocked when she surged to her feet, put her fists to her eyes in frustration and actually stamped her foot as she continued, "This is ridiculous! I am an intelligent woman, dammit! I know how to make full sentences and I even use the big words. I am the most accomplished witch in this school and I can't even do a simple spell around you without my hands shaking! I liked Ron for years and never had trouble with my school work!"

Then she whirled on him and her angry eyes met his confused ones, "Why does being alone with you do this to me, now? You never affected me before. Now, I sound like a twittering, giggly idiot! I can't complete a damn thought. You look at me with those eyes and I get lightheaded, for Merlin's sake. Everything I know just flies away and I'm tired of it! This has to stop. I'm acting like…like Lavender!"

Draco's laugh bubbled up as he realized she was honestly confused by her reaction to him. Self-preservation made him hold it back and keep a straight face as he slowly stood and moved in front of her.

"Okay, calm down," he said softly.

"I will not calm down, Draco Malfoy! You can't tell me what to do! I will be as upset as I…oomph."

He felt her body tense immediately and waited with his lips against hers, for her to push him away. Then she relaxed against him and in response he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. His brain was buzzing with so many thoughts he had trouble concentrating. However, there was one that rang the loudest; he was finally kissing her. Hermione Granger. He was kissing Hermione Granger! He was kissing someone who, less than a year ago, he had almost thrown to the Dark Lord. The one person who, now, he wanted to protect against everything he had been, everything he feared he might still be.

It was that thought that made him pull away quickly; so quickly she lost her balance and fell forward into him.

"I'm sorry," he rushed to say.

Hermione blinked up at him owlishly as she asked, "Why? That was fantastic!"

"Of course it was," he said without any trace of the pride the words suggested. "But, I'm sorry."

Hermione's eyes finally cleared as she focused on his anguished face.

"Draco, I'm confused," she said slowly. "I was the one having the freak out. What exactly are you sorry about?"

"I kissed you," he answered as if it were a crime.

"And," she prompted, completely confused.

"And, I," he began. Then he ran his hands through his hair as he stepped back from her, "I'm…and you're…I mean, things have…I mean we've been…"

Her giggle stopped him, "Now, you sound like I did a moment ago."

When he just stopped and stared at her, she stepped forward until her chest almost brushed his, "Do it again."

"Huh?"

"Kiss me again," she demanded.

"What? Why?" he asked, genuinely perplexed.

She took the final step that had her flush against him, even though her hands stayed at her sides. She opened and closed her mouth, then closed her eyes briefly before looking up at him.

Taking another breath she raised on hand to his face, "Because I need to know it was real, that you might feel, um, something other than friendship for me. I need to know this isn't just some…And, you need to know that is was okay; that you're okay. You aren't the same boy. I'm not the same girl. I want you to oomph."

She laughed a little at his abruptness, but then sobered as the same feelings she'd felt the first time coursed through her again. She knew in some part of her that she was being silly analyzing it as she was, but she couldn't stop. When she felt his hands slide up her hips to grip her waist and shuddered against him, she realized the stories were true. You could get goose bumps from one of his kisses. Then one of his hands slid higher and his thumb slid slowly back and forth on the underside of her breast and, she heard her own moan. Another truth, your heart could pound so hard in your own ears that it drowned out all other noise.

Then he pulled away slowly and stepped back and she knew one last truth. You could miss someone's touch.

"I won't hurt you," he said softly, his eyes searching hers. "I know you've heard…"

"Stop," she answered with a smile. "New beginnings for all of us. That past is just that, Draco."

He searched her face for a moment before he nodded and a small smirk formed.

"What?" she asked warily.

"I just kissed the VP, the Queen Know-It-All of Gryffindor," he said teasingly as he moved back close to her and his arms stole back around her. "Twice."

She smacked his chest lightly, even as she grinned, "And, I just kissed the 'Oh-so-great' Slytherin Prince."

"And?" he asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"And, what?" she asked as she tried to look confused as she held back her smile.

"Don't tease me, witch," he laughed. Then he searched her eyes again and nervously asked, "Was it, I mean, did you like, um…"

Hermione's face went from teasing to shocked as she watched him stumble over his words and redden, "But, you're, you've, I mean everyone says you're… Wait, you haven't…"

He pulled back and looked away, "Well, my last couple of years have been a bit busy, now haven't they?"

Hermione closed her mouth with a snap as she thought about that. He had been a bit too busy trying not to kill or be killed to have had as many trysts as she'd heard. She also correctly assumed his pride would have been too great to divulge his apparent innocence to anyone. A slow smile formed when the reality hit her that Draco Malfoy had basically just confessed to being a virgin. To her.

"I stand by my first statement," she said as she reached out and took his hand.

His head snapped up and his eyes met hers in question and unease. She decided to give him a bit of his pride back.

"It was fantastic, Draco. And, I look forward to doing it again soon."

She saw him breathe a sigh of relief, even as he raised a cocky eyebrow at her and pulled her against his chest again, "Don't you want to know what I thought of you?"

"Not really," she laughed a little as she pulled back from him. "Come on. We still have studying to do."

Draco let her go, but watched her closely. When she'd sat back against the sofa and pulled the large spell book onto her lap, he sat down beside her and said her name softly. She didn't look up and only acknowledged that he'd spoken with a soft grunt.

"It was amazing," he confessed softly. When her eyes lifted to his, he nodded and scooted over closer to her. "Wanna try again?"

When she didn't answer immediately he moved closer to loom over her, but her hand on his chest stopped his movement.

"We need to study," she smiled up at him.

He eased back a bit and because she didn't seem upset he teased, "I thought you couldn't think clearly with me around."

She laughed, "Well, now that the sexual tension has dissipated, I can concentrate on work again."

"Only you would put it that way," he shook his head. She shrugged and looked back down at her book which made him gawk at her, "Wait! Are you serious?"

She looked over at him with a puzzled smile, "Yes, why?"

"Just like that?"

"Well, yeah," she nodded. "I mean, now that it's done and we both know what to expect, the wondering about when and if and how is behind us. Now, we can focus again."

He laughed and reached out to toy with a curl on her shoulder, "You have so much to learn."

"What do you mean?"

Draco moved slowly closer as he answered softly, "I mean, Ms. Granger, that despite my earlier, uh, confession, I do still have a lot to teach you."

Her voice shook a bit as she stared into his predatory gaze, "Abou…about what?"

He looked down at her lips as she spoke, "About what to expect, when, where and how. I assure you, we are nowhere near done."

"Draco, I…" she began.

"Shhh," he said. Then he leaned into her and whispered against her lips. "I need to show you something."

Before she could ask what, his lips were once again covering hers. This time she was prepared for the assault on her senses and relaxed back against the sofa arm. It wasn't like when Ron had kissed her, it was so much more all-consuming. Ron's lips had been fuller, but with a lot less pressure, and she'd always felt a sense of contentment. Draco's kiss was very different. It was like he was drinking from her lips; worshipping them. His tongue caressed hers. And, the low growl in his throat made her want to purr in response.

Then he slid his lips across her cheek to her ear and his hand moved up her body slowly. She started a little and grasped his shoulders tighter when he ran his tongue around the shell of her ear and laid his hand over her breast.

He felt her stiffen against him, but when she didn't pull away, or push him away, he whispered, "Relax."

Hermione shivered as his warm breath blew across her ear, and glanced around to make sure they were still alone. "Draco, maybe we should…"

In answer he trailed kisses down her neck and slid his fingers back and forth over her breast, feeling the nipple harden and grow beneath her shirt. When he heard her sharp intake of breath he smiled to himself and went back to her lips. As her tongue tentatively met his, he groaned and shifted to get closer, his hand now more firm against her.

"…said they would be studying together, so, oh! Oh my!" Pansy's voice cut through their fog.

Draco jumped back from Hermione and she bolted up straight, their dazed eyes meeting Pansy and Ron's shocked ones.

xxxxxx

Ron felt his jaw drop and was hard-pressed to close his mouth. Over the past couple of weeks he had mostly accepted Hermione and Draco's feelings for one another. He'd even swallowed his own disgust that Draco really seemed to have finally matured and wasn't going away any time soon. Last, he'd finally learned to block out Harry's tirades on the subject. But, seeing their interest in each other up close and in person put an entirely different spin on things. He wasn't quite sure what to say, but he realized with a lump in his throat, that a new chapter of their lives had truly begun.

Seeing Hermione with Draco, as Ron held Pansy's hand tightly in his, helped clarify for him that the past was indeed just that. They had moved on from one another. It wasn't a feeling of sadness, so much as a realization of closure. They would always be closer than family, but that part of their lives, their childhood, was done.

The silence that engulfed the four of them was heavy as they stared from one to the other. Ron felt Pansy's hand tighten on his and wondered fleetingly if she was upset to see Draco with another woman. A glance at her face assured him she wasn't when he noticed her holding back a small smile.

Ron puffed out a breath and drew Pansy a bit closer, "We, uh, came to see if you two were done with your Charms work."

He noticed Hermione's blush, lowered eyes, and the hands she clenched in her lap. She looked very much like a naughty child waiting for their punishment and it saddened him to see that she was so anxious over his reaction. In an effort to relay his feelings to her without having to embarrass any of them further, he strove for normalcy.

"But," he continued with a forced laugh, "I guess you, uh, got distracted."

If nothing else his comment made Hermione lift her head and look at him.

"Why?" Draco asked from his seat beside her.

Ron may have gotten over a lot of things, but talking normally to Draco wasn't one of them. So, he simply didn't answer.

He heard Pansy sigh softly beside him before she answered in his stead, "A bunch of us were thinking of going to The Hog's Head tonight and we thought you might want to join us."

Ron nodded, but only looked between Hermione and Pansy. Again trying to make it seem like an every day occurrence to have seen Hermione groping and being groped by Draco Malfoy, Ron forced another laugh. "Unless you'd rather stay here and continue, uh, studying."

Draco smirked at Ron's attempt at a joke and laughed a little. He mentally thanked the red-head for at least trying.

Hermione shook her head and stood up with her hands still clasped together, "No, we'll co…I mean I'll come. Draco?"

Draco made a non-committal grunt and folded his arms across his chest.

When Hermione looked back at him in askance Draco looked away and Ron could tell her nervousness was pissing off the man. Ron glanced over to see Draco staring at the floor and Hermione simply looking between Draco and himself.

He felt Pansy's hand squeeze his and glanced down at her. She smiled up at him and raised a brow as she said, "Why don't we meet you guys by the doors. I forgot something and Ron and I need to go get it."

He almost asked what she forgot, but the tightening of her grip made him understand he was to just nod and agree. "Yeah, we'll see you there in a few."

"Okay," Hermione answered.

When Ron and Pansy turned and walked away, Hermione sighed and sat back down. "Well, that was awkward," she muttered.

Draco stayed quiet and just stared at her until she looked up at him.

"What?"

"Are you going?" he asked evenly.

"Sure, I guess. I mean, we can't stay in here all night," she stood again and started to gather her books.

Draco turned his back to her and reached for his books, "Do you want to meet up again later in the weekend to finish this?"

"Sure," she answered. "What are you doing after quidditch practice tomorrow?"

"Nothing much," he answered as he lifted his bag onto his shoulder and stuck his hands in his pockets.

His monotone voice finally filtered through and Hermione realized he was no longer looking at her. "What's wrong?"

He glanced at her and then away as he mumbled, "Nothing."

She bit her lip for a second before asking, "Are you sure?"

"I'm fine, Granger. Just let me know when you're ready to finish this project."

Draco calling her by her last name was like a slap in the face. Her mouth fell open in shock as she stared at him, but before she could react further, he turned and started to walk away.

Grabbing her bag and robe she hurried after him. When she caught up to him she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to a stop, "Hey! What happened? What's wrong?"

Draco pulled his arm from her hand sharply and sneered down at her as he indicated the others in the room, "Are you sure you want to be seen touching me in public?"

"What?" she asked in complete confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Forget it," he sighed heavily and turned away again.

Hermione stepped quickly around him and stopped him from walking away by putting her hands on his chest, "What did I miss? Why are you so angry with me all of a sudden?"

Draco closed his eyes for a moment and then stepped back from her, "I'm not angry with you. I just have to go."

"Go? Go, where? Aren't you coming into town with everyone?"

Draco blew out a breath and looked down into her face, "Look, I really like you. I think you know that. And, I thought you…never mind. Go have fun."

"Draco, what…you thought I what? What am I missing?"

The look of complete confusion on her face got to him and he shifted his bag higher on his shoulder as he blurted out, "I don't want to embarrass either one of us any more tonight, okay?"

"Huh?" she asked blankly. Then understanding dawned and her eyes opened wide as she half-shouted, "You think I was embarrassed to be seen kissing you!"

Draco grabbed her arm and steered her quickly out of the doors, "Damn, Hermione! I don't think the ghosts in the rafters heard you!"

Hermione laughed as they skidded to a halt outside of the room, "Sorry, I was shocked. But, was I right? Is that what you thought?"

"You were freaked when Pansy and Weasel came up to us," he accused, instead of admitting to anything.

"Ron. And, well, yeah," she nodded as she smiled up at him.

"There you go," he said as he tried to step around her.

"Draco, stop!" she demanded. When he turned to face her she stepped back up to him, "I was freaked, yes, but not because of you."

"Right," he said as he looked anywhere but at her.

Hermione shook her head and let out a small laugh. Then she moved to stand directly in front of him.

"Did it not occur to you that we were snogging in front of our very recent exes? Maybe I was worried about their reactions to it, Draco." She then lifted her hand and ran it slowly down his chest to rest on his waist as she spoke, "Maybe I didn't want Ron and Pansy to feel weird because of how they found us. I don't want to upset them if I can help it." Then she repeated the action with her other hand as she added, "Or, maybe I was just still a bit flustered by that kiss and a bit upset that it was interrupted." Last, she stepped closer and let her chest graze his as she looked up at him, "And, maybe, just maybe, it had absolutely nothing to do with being embarrassed at being caught kissing you?"

Draco's eyes darkened and his hands came up and wrapped around her waist. His tense shoulders relaxed as he smirked, "So, now that you know they weren't upset by it, if I was to grab you and kiss you in front of everyone tonight, you would…"

"…be very happy and thoroughly mussed, I suppose," she answered with a flirtatious grin.

"Will you go to the Halloween Ball with me?" he asked, surprising her completely.

Her smile was wide as she asked, "Where did that come from?"

He shrugged, but said, "Well?"

"Of course," she answered. "And, thank you fo…oomph."

Hermione had the fleeting thought that he was going to have to work on letting her finish sentences, before his kiss drove away her ability to think at all. She felt her back softly hit the wall behind her and his hands sliding up from her waist, but it wasn't in her to stop him yet; it simply felt too good. As her hands slid up his chest to tangle in his hair, she realized he felt too good, too. She was so lost in the kiss that she lost track of time and place. She had no idea how long they'd been there when her name being called slowly filtered through. Draco being jerked away from her brought her back to reality.

xxxxxx


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 21**

When Ginny had come back from rounds, she'd told Harry that she'd run into Ron and Pansy and they'd proposed all of them going to The Hog's Head for a bit. With the war over and security tightened around the school and village of Hogsmeade, it was allowed for seventh years to go out on weekends until midnight. Harry had agreed that it was a good idea and added that they should see if anyone else wanted to come along. Ginny had mentioned Parvati and Theo, and he had added that they should find Hermione to see if she wanted to join them. He hadn't even considered Malfoy in the equation.

He was planning a fun evening with his friends after a long week of studying and stress. One minute he had been walking down the corridor with Ginny, smiling and laughing at her story of her and Blaise's rounds that evening. And, the next he saw red. Hermione, his innocent, sweet friend, was being pinned to the wall and mauled by the blonde, ferret, death-eater-wannabe.

"Hermione!" Harry called sharply, despite Ginny's nails digging into his hand.

He shook off Ginny's restraining hand and lunged forward. He grabbed Malfoy by the back of his robes and pulled him back as hard as he could. Then, before the man could straighten, Harry punched him in the stomach.

"Get off of her!"

"Harry!" both Hermione and Ginny screeched at him, but he didn't have time to react before he was thrown back from Draco's punch to his face.

They both froze when a wand appeared between their panting faces.

"Don't make me do it," Ron's said softly from the side.

"That evil git was mauling our best friend!" Harry shouted.

Draco sniffed derisively, but before he could comment Hermione shouted back, "Do I look mauled to you, Harry James Potter?!"

Harry took in her reddened lips, messy hair, and shirt that needed adjusting and almost said yes. But, he also noted that Draco looked much the same. Harry had to admit to himself that, as much as he wanted it to be otherwise, they simply looked like two people who'd had a good snog.

"No, not now," he conceded.

With a tsk, Hermione moved to Draco's side. Ron, Pansy, Theo and Parvati all looked at Harry with varying degrees of disappointment, and the look on Ginny's face made Harry wince.

He flexed his sore jaw, "Gin, I…"

She stepped back, "Don't!"

He watched as she shook her head at him and then straightened her shoulders and looked past him.

"Draco, are you okay?" she asked to Harry's consternation.

"Yeah," he answered. "No, tha…"

But, whatever he was going to say was stopped by Hermione's outburst as she rounded on her best friend.

"What the hell was that?! What were you thinking? WERE you thinking?!" she shouted at him as she poked her finger repeatedly in his chest.

He stepped back to avoid her finger and ended up against the wall they had previously been leaning on, "Hermione, I…"

"Apologize now, Harry!" she demanded.

"What? No!" he answered; shocked that she would ask that of him.

But, then he saw something he hadn't seen since the middle of the war. Hermione's eyes actually flashed in her anger. But, unlike when it had been directed at their enemies and he had been almost happy to see it, this time it was directed at him and it scared him stiff.

"I mean, um, okay, Hermione, no problem. I will," he placated, his hands raised in defense.

"Now!" she snarled.

He flicked his eyes in Malfoy's general direction, "Sorry."

"Like you mean it, dammit," she hissed as she punched him on the arm.

He flinched and held back a grunt as he fully faced Malfoy and looked into his face. The smirk and raised eyebrow on the blonde man's face were almost enough to make him punch him again. But, one glance at Hermione's face and he swallowed his bile, "Sorry, Malfoy."

Draco nodded once, but continued to smirk as he watched Harry's pride squashed under the foot of the tiny witch at his side. That is until Hermione turned her anger on him.

"Now you!" she demanded.

Harry had the minute pleasure of seeing the smirk fall away as Malfoy looked down at Hermione. "What? Why?"

"You hit him, too, Draco. Apologize!"

"But, he…"

"Now!"

Harry was pretty sure her eyes must have flashed again, when he saw the pale man grow a bit lighter and his eyes bulge slightly.

"Um, okay, Hermione. Okay." Then his eyes lifted and he looked into Harry's face, "Sorry to have punched you after you punched me, Potter."

"Draco!"

"What? I did it," he answered.

She shook her head him and turned to Ginny, "How about we make this a girl's night? I don't think I can take anymore testosterone tonight!"

Ginny nodded and turned to the others, "How about you two gentlemen take these to jerks and talk to them about what it means to be a grown up? Pansy, Vati, let's go."

Harry started to call her name as she turned and walked towards the doors, but she stopped and faced them once again.

"Oh, and ten points from Gryffindor because their Head Girl is dating a hotheaded pain in the ass! And, ten from Slytherin for fighting in the halls!"

Draco harrumphed. Theo and Ron both sighed. And, Harry stepped forward to say something to her. Ron stopped him, with a hand on his arm, "Let her go, Harry."

Harry sighed and looked at Hermione apologetically, "Hermione, I…"

"Uh uh." She said as she walked away from him. It stung and it wasn't helped by the twin looks of disdain thrown at him by Pansy and Parvati before they kissed their boyfriends and hurried after the other two.

Harry was left standing with two ticked off Slytherins who looked ready to beat him to a bloody heap, and a best friend who looked ready to join them. He stepped back a little and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Way to go, Potter," Draco snarled at him.

"Shut it, Malfoy!" he snapped back. "If you hadn't been…"

"Been what? Snogging my witch? What? Jealous? Sorry, Potter, I don't swing that way."

"Why you…" Harry lunged at him.

Ron and Theo each grabbed one of them to stop them from hurtling at each other once again. And, they all grunted at the impact as they fell into each other.

"Um, guys?" Greg's voice interrupted them from the hall on the side.

They turned to see him holding hands with Millicent and staring at them like they were exotic zoo animals.

Theo was the first to pull back and straighten, "Hello, Greg. Millicent."

"What's up?" Millie asked. "You guys about to fight?"

"Not anymore," Ron answered for them. "Right you two?"

Harry saw Draco nod and did the same as they all stood straight and pulled away from one another. Greg and Millicent walked closer and then she looked up and down the hall.

"So, where are all the girls?"

"They went to The Hog's Head for a while," Theo answered. But, the look he shot Draco and Harry spoke volumes.

Greg shuffled his feet uncomfortably, but Millicent dropped his hand and stepped forward.

"So, let me see if I've got this. You guys are all here about to knock heads and the girls are gone. And, the only two with any real issues still are Draco and Potter. So, I'm guessing Potter finally grew a set and started a fight over Granger. So, what Draco, did you finally do her?"

Everyone blinked at her uncanny recount of events she hadn't been there to see happen, even if she had overshot things a bit.

When no one spoke, she fisted her hands on her hips, "Okay, if none of you have the balls to say it, I will. Hell, I'm sick and tired of hearing Pansy bitch about it anyway. Draco, you need to get over yourself. That damn chip on your shoulder is starting to take the place of your head. Which, by the way, is stuck up your ass. Granger likes you. A lot. Be a man and make a move, but don't dick around with her. The chick's got enough self-esteem issues without you adding to it. And, you Potter, take a page from your own damn book. You keep telling everyone that will listen, even those that don't want to, that Blaise needs to grow up and get over the past, as if that isn't the pot calling the cauldron black. Draco was a shit; it's not new news. Neither is you being a hotheaded ass who jumps to conclusions about every damn thing, Theo being a geeky ponce, or Weasley being a dumbass. And, you know what? None of you are the catches you think you are. You should be on your knees thanking the fates that anyone gives you the time of day. But, all you can think about is your stupid petty pasts and your egos. Well, get over yourselves and each other. Potter, grow up! Draco's not going away and he wants to be with Granger, Merlin only knows why. Whether you want to admit it or not he's changed and you need to accept it. And, you, Draco. Potter's her friend and he ain't going anywhere either. You want to get in Granger's knickers, you need to accept that they're guarded by Potter and Weasley. That means you need to learn to make nice with them or you lose your shot."

Everyone just stood staring at her in shock and in the extended silence she got angry.

"You're all wankers!" she growled. "Come on, Greg, let's go get you that drink at Madam Puddifoot's."

Greg's face reddened, but he nodded and followed her down the hall away from the others.

Theo finally broke the silence to mutter, "I'm not a geek."

"But, you are a bit of a ponce," Draco laughed a little.

"Well, that's better than being a shit," Theo retorted, but not angrily.

"Or, a dumbass," Ron mumbled irritably. "I'm not stupid, you know."

Draco crossed his arms and laughed a little more, "No, you aren't Weasley, you just act like it."

"That's rich coming from Mr. Chip on his shoulder," Ron rejoined.

They all turned to Harry and saw that he didn't share their little bit of mirth. Draco sighed and relaxed his arms.

"Look, Potter, Millie did get at least one thing right in her little tirade. Hermione and I are going to see each other, whether you like it or not."

Harry grunted and stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from pulling his wand and hexing Draco into a pile of bat poop.

Ron, who was not happy to have had his night out with his girlfriend cancelled due to Harry's anger issues, looked at Draco, "I just want her happy and she seems to be." Then, he turned to Theo, "Come on, Theo; let's go get some butterbeer in the all-common room."

Harry sputtered at Ron's retreating back, but didn't know what he would have said if he called him back, so he didn't. Then, he turned to see Draco laugh at him and head in the opposite direction towards the dungeons. Left standing alone, Harry frowned and moved to stand near the tall windows as he tried to understand the last fifteen minutes of his life.

"What the hell happened?" he asked out loud.

"Well, it seems you've finally achieved complete idiocy, as you seem to be talking to a window pane."

Harry looked into the reflection of the window and saw Professor Snape sneering at him from a few feet away. He didn't move; he didn't make a sound as he stared at the reflection of the man who he'd felt so many things for most of his school life. For the majority of the time he'd known Severus Snape he had feared him and suspected him of being pure evil. Each time the man had been proven innocent, Harry had stamped down his shame or forgiveness because of the hawk-nosed man's abrasive personality. Later when the greasy-haired, bat-like man had killed the former headmaster, Harry had known hatred the likes of which rivaled his feelings for only Tom Riddle himself. He'd dreamt of dismembering his potions teacher slowly and painfully for his betrayal. And, he'd felt fully justified for every mean thought he'd ever had of the traitor.

But, then, in the midst of the war, at a time when he wanted nothing more than to see the awful Death Eater pay for every crime he'd committed, he'd seen the memories of a young man whose life had been torturous and never his own. He'd seen the miserable loneliness of the child; the painful, unrequited love for Harry's own mother, and the abuse at the hands of his father. Harry had learned that things had rarely been what they'd seemed. And, while the feelings of betrayal lingered, he no longer felt the hatred he'd once carried around like a banner.

He wondered what life would have been like had his mother returned Snape's affections. Would he even be there? Would the war have turned out differently? Would Snape have become a nicer person? Would they have learned to lean on and trust one another?

"Not bloody likely, Mr. Potter!" his potion's teacher interrupted his thoughts. He'd forgotten the man was a skilled legilimens and had apparently been hearing his every thought.

Harry turned to face him, "Stop that!"

"Five points from Gryffindor for disrespecting a teacher," Snape hissed.

Harry's face reddened in anger, but the dark man before him continued, his voice low but without its normal derision, "How dare you speculate about MY life! You're just a rash, foolhardy, proud, ego-driven child, just like your father." Then, he took a breath to calm himself further and continued, "But, you are also a loyal, brave, strong young man whose eyes have seen too much suffering in their time. You will never understand me, you foolish boy. Don't try! You will never truly know the things I've done or why. But, I will allow you this. When all one is isn't good enough, and all one knows is proven wrong, a person will cling to whatever or whoever shows them approval, even if that approval comes at the cost to their very soul. Add this to your list of unending, useless questions, Potter. What might a little understanding have changed?"

With that, Snape turned and strode away, his robes billowing around him, leaving Harry to stare in silence after him. He heard the man mutter to himself, "Old Fool and his new beginnings! Some will never let go of the past!" as he turned the corner.

Harry turned back to the window feeling the same shame he'd fought against all summer creep up again as he thought on Snape's words. Had he ever been fair to the man? Had he even once given him the benefit of the doubt? Even when Hermione had pointed out to him time and again that Snape was on their side, had he, Harry, ever given quarter? Did he even try to believe there could be good in him? Would a little understanding on his part have made things any different? Would Snape have looked at him differently? Would they have been friends now if Harry had… Friends? Hell, no. But, maybe more friendly. Should he approach the prickly wizard and thank him for his role in the war? Maybe if he did, it would open the door to finding out more about his mother; what she had been like as a young girl. Was it too late now? Had he lost the chance? Should he go to Snape and apologize?

Harry sighed heavily as he turned to go back to the Gryffindor tower talking to himself as he walked, "Well, Gin, that little chat may not have been what you had in mind, but at least it happened. It's a start, I guess. But, he's still an ass. I mean, seriously, what was that about my eyes? Was it a compliment? The Severus Snape version of an olive branch? A backhanded, slapping olive branch, but one nonetheless?"

xxxxxx

"But, what started it?" Parvati asked once again, her voice tinged in exasperation, as it was the fourth time she'd asked.

The trip to The Hog's Head had been completed in near silence as Hermione and Ginny each silently fumed, and Parvati and Pansy tried to figure out quietly between them what could have happened to start everything. Then when they arrived at bar and took a table in the back corner, Aberforth Dumbledore noticed them and bustled over to say hello and catch up on things.

His actions during the war and Rita Skeeter's tell-all book had changed him and his establishment. Where before he and his bar had been a dirty, scary, and unapproachable, the slight fame he received from the book, as well as for helping Harry, Ron and Hermione had turned him around completely. It had started with him revamping the bar to make it brighter, cleaner and more inviting. He'd also taken to shaving and making himself more like the man he had been when he and his brother were younger.

The reemergence of Albus into his life had been the final spark to light his previously dark life and he had turned into the complete opposite of his former self. Post-war Aberforth was a talkative, attentive barkeep, dependable friend and neighborhood busybody. Things had changed so much that The Hog's Head was almost an unofficial auror headquarters, as well as the place to go to for the latest gossip in the wizarding world.

As such, it had taken the four of them almost half an hour to get the man to leave the table, so they could talk. And, the moment he'd gone to get their drinks Hermione had launched into her list of frustrations with Harry, Draco and Blaise, and Ginny had chimed in accordingly. Unfortunately, this left Pansy and Parvati still not knowing what had caused the most recent fisticuffs.

Finally, Ginny answered, "Harry saw them kissing and lost it!"

"Ah!" Parvati exclaimed, her face a mix of understanding and curiosity.

Pansy surprised them all by laughing, "Finally."

"Huh?!" Ginny asked in surprise.

"What I meant was," Pansy answered, "it's about time for things to come to a head. They were going to fight it out at some point anyway. It's what boys do. The two of them have been holding back for years."

Parvati nodded, "True. But, I'm surprised Ron wasn't in the mix."

Pansy shook her head after taking a sip of her drink, "Nah, he wouldn't be, would he? I mean, he and Draco have always shouted, insulted each other and fought. They got their aggression out when they were upset about it. And, this year, they…" her eyes flicked to Hermione's for a moment before she continued with a slight blush, "…they seem to have come to an understanding. But, Harry always held it in and Draco always held back with him."

"But, why do I have to be the catalyst?" Hermione sighed as she put her drink down.

Parvati answered, "Probably because they have nothing really left to fight over, but they still need to get it out."

Hermione huffed and took another sip of her drink as she muttered, "Boys are stupid!"

Ginny nodded around her glass and when she put it down added, "And hotheaded! I mean, what is wrong with him?!"

"Which one?" Parvati joked.

"Harry," Ginny answered seriously. "Why can't he really let go of all this anger he carries around? And, why is it so focused on Draco?"

Hermione swallowed her bite of chicken wing and sighed heavily, "Because he can't let loose on the people he's really angry with."

"What? Who?" Ginny and Pansy both asked, as Parvati tried to around her bite of hamburger.

Hermione looked thoughtful as she lowered her voice and answered, "I would think Professors Snape and Dumbledore. I mean, he hasn't really talked to either since they came back. I know I still have issues with some of the things Professor Dumbledore put us through last year when he could have just told us or Harry that… well, I can only imagine what Harry is keeping inside every class. And, it can't help that he knows the truth of Professor Snape's past with his mother, but the man still treats him like dirt."

Ginny pushed her food away dejectedly and took a long pull from her drink. "Am I being too hard on him? I keep pushing him and fighting with him and stuff. Am I making it worse, do you think? I…I asked him to go talk to Professor Snape."

Pansy shook her head, "No, Gin. You're doing fine. You're treating him like he's a person, not a hero or demi-god. He needs you to balance out all the others out there."

"And, as for the Snape thing," Parvati added, "Harry just needs to learn to be more understanding sometimes, and not jump to conclusions about people. I mean, I've heard Harry complain about him and suspect him of stuff since we were little."

Hermione shook her head, "No. I mean, yes, Harry could learn to be more understanding, BUT Professor Snape did always act suspiciously. And, he was mean to us, plain and simple. He treated Harry like the disgusting goo at the bottom of an overused cauldron from the start. He was the adult. Harry was an 11 year old, scared child who was hated by Professor Snape at first sight. And, he didn't give a reason until just last year; and that was only when he thought he was dying. There were legitimate reasons for Harry to be suspicious of Professor Snape each time... just as he had real ones to distrust Draco back then. The only difference is Draco was a scared child then, too."

Parvati nodded her agreement and added, "And, that Draco has since apologized and tried to change."

Ginny sighed, "I'm sorry, but I don't much feel like a girl's night anymore. I think I'm going to head back and make sure he's okay. See if he wants to talk."

The others nodded their understanding and Pansy offered to go back with her. She wanted to spend more time with Ron anyway. Hermione said she would go, but Parvati said she would stay with her, so she could at least finish her food.

When the other two had left, Hermione noticed the sparkle in her friend's eye and warily asked what that look was for all of a sudden.

"Now that the drama's over, at least for the time being, it's time for you to spill!" Parvati giggled.

"Spill what?"

"You finally kissed the oh-so-hot, Draco Malfoy! How was it?"

xxxxxx

"How was what?" Draco asked. He sat on the sofa with his eyes closed and his legs stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed. A forgotten full glass of firewhiskey rested in his hands.

Greg came in and sat down in the chair nearest the fire. Meanwhile, Theo closed the door and joined them, sitting on the sofa next to Draco.

He then reached over and took the glass from Draco's hand and swallowed a large gulp.

"Hey!"

"What? You weren't drinking it," Theo chuckled.

Draco reached out and took it back, "Well, maybe I was going to…"

"Can we stay on topic?" Greg interrupted.

Theo sighed heavily and crossed his arms and legs as she sat back against the sofa. "I don't see where it is any of our business, Greg. And, it isn't appropriate to ask Draco…"

"Appropriate?" Greg laughed. "Who was it that interrogated Blaise last year for an hour after his date with Tracey?"

Theo had the grace to flush a little, "Well, that was then."

Greg raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Then, as in before you were dating Parvati and decided not to give up any details?"

"Yes, well," Theo muttered.

Draco finally stepped into the conversation, "May I ask what you two dimwits are talking about?"

Greg turned to him, "Kissing Hermione!"

"Gregory," Theo admonished.

"Belt up Nott, you know you want to know, too," Greg laughed.

Theo rolled his eyes and looked at the fire. "Why do you want to know? I thought you were over her? What are you doing with Millie, if you…"

"I am. Over her, that is. And, I like Millie. But, that doesn't mean I can't still be curious."

"How about I help you girls out a bit?" Draco laughed. "She is fantastic. The witch can kiss! I hate to think of her practicing on Weasley, but I can't deny the results."

"Is that all you did?"

"Greg!"

"What?!"

"No matter, Theo," Draco smirked. Then he turned his head to Greg, "That's all you're getting anyway."

"Spoilsport," Greg grumbled as he reached out and swiped Draco's drink. He downed it in one gulp and laughed at the look on Draco's face. "Sorry, mate, but no story, no drink!"

Draco laughed, "It's my room, remember? Accio bottle."

"Accio glass," both Theo and Greg added.

When all three had their drinks, Greg leaned back and said, "So, what were you planning to do tonight?"

Draco shrugged and then grimaced. He had been able to heal himself well enough, from Harry's punch, to avoid a bruise, but he still felt the twinges of pain in his ribs when he moved. He admitted to himself, though he would never say it aloud, that the dark-haired freak had a good right arm.

"I _was_ going to hang out with Hermione and relax, but Potter messed that up well and good, didn't he?" Draco sneered.

Greg nodded and said to Theo, "You shoulda let him hit Harry again."

"And, that would have solved what?" Theo sniffed.

"I would feel better," Draco sulked.

"Oh yeah? And, what do you think Hermione would have thought of you trying to beat the shit out of her best friend?" Theo asked.

"Try?" Draco asked, affronted.

Greg shrugged, "He's not so scrawny any more, you know."

"I could have taken him," Draco almost pouted.

"Well, that's neither here nor there, as we shall never know," Theo said philosophically. "At least now Hermione will not hold any of it against you."

"True," Draco sighed as he took a sip of his drink.

"Why do you hate him so much anyway?" Greg asked softly. "I mean, looking back, I don't remember him doing anything to you. To us. At least not at first. But, we…well, I guess we just followed you."

"He never did anything?! He flaunted his scar around here like a damn badge of honor." Draco jumped up and began pacing as he spoke. "He lorded his 'poor-me' act all over the damn school. He acted the martyr every chance he got! And, he never got caught and punished, no matter what he did wrong!"

Theo softly interrupted, "It's not like he had it all that easy either, Draco."

"Are you siding with that asshole?!"

Theo threw his hands in up a sign of peace, "No, of course not! I'm just saying, now that I've gotten to know him, he never asked for any of what happened to him. I'm not saying it makes him a paragon of virtue or anything, because he surely is not, but I do think he deserves a modicum of, I don't know, understanding, I guess."

"Give me a break!" Draco laughed harshly and then threw back his drink. "He's a self-righteous, self-important, jerk! And, he won't keep his nose out of my business!"

"Same was said of you many times," Theo mumbled around his glass.

Draco harrumphed, but couldn't truly deny it.

Greg took a sip of his drink and asked, "But, what started it?"

"Started what?" Draco asked.

"Us hating Harry, Ron, and Hermione?"

Draco closed his eyes for a moment. He knew his instilled beliefs about muggleborns had tainted his feelings toward Hermione before she'd ever said a word to him. His family's history with the Weasleys had been enough reason to look down on Ron. But, Draco knew in his heart that his intense dislike of Ron and Hermione was born mostly from his anger at Harry. He thought back to the moment he'd offered his hand in friendship to Harry and had been turned away. He rationally knew that it was petty to still harbor so much anger over something that happened when he was only eleven years old, but it was something that had always galled him. As the years had gone by and he had suffered, paid and lost, Harry had succeeded, been awarded and even lauded. He wasn't willing to admit, even to himself too often, that it was jealousy, so he stuck to the only argument he could acknowledge. "He tried to kill me, remember?"

Greg began, "But, before that we…" only to be cut off by a quick shake of Theo's head behind Draco's back.

"What?" Draco asked.

Greg shrugged and looked down into his empty glass, "Nothing. I guess it's just weird that everyone can get along, but you two."

"Well, get over it! I will have Weasley eating dinner at my house off my own plate with my damn fork, before I would ever befriend Potter!" Draco snapped.

For a few moments after Draco's statement all that could be heard was the crackling of the fireplace. Then Theo cleared his throat and asked, "So, either of you know what Blaise is up to tonight?"

Draco, thankful to have the subject changed sat back down heavily, "Moping in his rooms, as per usual."

"Maybe we should go visit," Theo suggested. "It'll be a while before the girls come back anyway."

Greg, upset with himself for upsetting Draco, and frustrated with Draco for not answering the questions, pushed off the sofa, "Yeah, let's go."

xxxxxx

"And, then he left."

"Oh, Harry," Ginny said as she leaned over and hugged him.

She had left The Hog's Head and hurried with Pansy back to the school. They'd made their way up to Gryffindor Tower where Pansy and Ron immediately disappeared into his room; door shut and wards up. Ginny had taken a deep breath before knocking on Harry's door, asking if they could talk.

Twenty minutes later, she sat next to him on his bed and wanted to cry for him. She'd listen to his rendition of his meeting with Professor Snape and knew he was riddled with confusion. But, she didn't know how to help him, or, if she even should. There were some things in life that people needed to figure out for themselves in order for the lesson to stick.

"So, what are you going to do?" she asked as she leaned back.

"I don't know, Gin," he shook his head. "I feel like I should apologize, I guess. But, I don't really feel I did anything wrong. I mean, yes, he was on our side the whole time, and he apparently loved my mum, but he also treated me like dung on his shoe every day of my life here. Why should I all of a sudden start acting like I respect him or something?"

"You only have to do what you feel is right, Harry," she answered.

"I know," he sighed.

After a moment of quiet she tried to lighten things up with a joke, "Maybe you don't have to ever apologize. Someday we can just name a child after him or something and he'll get the idea."

He laughed a little, "Yeah right. Like I would saddle our child with the name Severus."

"True. Well, maybe as a middle name then," she laughed.

He joined her for a minute and then sobered. "What do I do about Hermione, Gin?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?! She's dating Draco bloody Malfoy!" he exploded as he surged off the bed. "I mean, it's Malfoy! For all of our lives here he's been a complete asshole to me, Ron and Hermione. He fought with Voldemort. He called her the foulest of names, wished her dead, among other thoughtless, cruel things. And, now, he's had a little therapy and we're all supposed to believe he's to be forgiven? I don't think so! How Hermione can abide to let him talk to her, much less touch her, I just can't understand!"

"People do change," Ginny almost whispered.

"I know that," he answered. Then he ran his hands through his messy hair and sat down, his head in his hands, elbows on his knees. "Don't you think I know that?"

Ginny rubbed his lower back, "I know you do. And, I know what he did to all of you. Who he was. But, Hermione has forgiven him. She truly believes he's changed; that he's sorry for the things he did. And, hon, as long as Hermione sees something in him, he's going to be a part of our lives."

"Ugh!" Harry moaned as he fell back across the bed.

"You can't keep starting fights with him, Harry," she added. Before he could answer she continued, "As your girlfriend I am telling you that holding on to the anger you have for Draco isn't good for you. And, he's not worth it. As Hermione's friend I'm telling you to stop before you drive a wedge between the two of you that can't be repaired. Because again, Draco Malfoy isn't worth losing her over. And, as your Head Girl, I am telling you to stop before you get in trouble. I can't keep turning away and pretending it's not happening, Harry."

"I'm sorry," he said as he looked up into her face. "I didn't mean to put you in a bad position."

"I know. But, I think it's time for you to show some of that maturity I know you have. Just walk away when it gets to be too much. You haven't seemed to notice, Harry, but he really has stopped antagonizing you and Ron since he started seeing Hermione. He's still a git sometimes, I admit, but he hasn't really done all that much."

"God, I hate him," Harry moaned. "No matter how much he might have changed, he's still a snarky bastard."

"I know," she smiled down at him. "But, the man I love is too good and strong to let a few rude comments get to him, isn't he?"

xxxxxx

"Yes, he is," Hermione giggled from her seat two weeks later. "He's funny."

"Does he treat you well?" he asked with a smile.

"He does," she answered with a matching one.

"And, he's smart, right?" Draco pressed.

She nodded and smiled, "He is."

"I've also heard he's a pretty nice looking chap," he said.

"Chap?" she giggled.

"Just answer the question, Granger," he rolled his eyes playfully.

"Yes, he's rather nice looking, I suppose," she giggled.

Draco leaned over the cauldron they shared and asked quietly, "Would you say he's a great kisser?"

Hermione had to stifle her laughter as they were in the middle of class. Their potion was almost done and needed only to be stirred twice more in the next ten minutes. They had finished ahead of time due to both knowing what to do and how to do it. Their partnership had reached a point where each knew the other's moves before they'd done it, and it allowed them to often finish before the other students. They also had the added benefit of sitting in the back of the class in the corner, so they could get their work done and talk quietly without getting into trouble.

"He's okay, I guess," she answered with a smirk.

"Just okay?" he asked in shock. "What's wrong with him?"

"Now now, Malfoy, I think we should stop. My boyfr…"

She paused, startled by the word about to slip from her lips, and looked at him. He could read the embarrassment and insecurity on her face.

His heart beat quickly in his chest, and he realized he wanted to hear her say the word. They hadn't discussed it, as neither was secure enough in him or her self to broach the topic. But, he knew he already thought of her that way; as his girl. And, he wanted to hear her admit she felt the same.

He took a breath and said, "Your boyfriend what? You think he would be upset that we were talking about him and his techniques?"

He wanted to laugh at the quick flicker of emotions across her face, but he didn't as he noticed the most prominent ones seemed to be relief and joy. He felt the same.

"Yes," she smiled widely at him, "My _boyfriend_ would not like it at all. He's a rather private person."

"Is he now? Sounds like the possessive type to me," Draco grinned. Then his grin turned to a smirk as he said, "Well, my _girlfriend_ wouldn't mind. She's the secure type. She knows she's amazing and that I would have nothing but great things to say about her anyway. She knows how I feel about her no matter who she talks to about me."

Hermione's smile slipped a bit, "Does she?"

Draco felt his stomach drop. He hadn't planned for things to get that far. He knew how he felt about Hermione, but he wasn't sure if it was the right time to say anything. They were in the middle of class, surrounded by cauldrons and smoke, a bunch of other people, and a stalking Professor Snape. And, on top of it all, he wasn't quite sure she felt the same yet.

He settled for being positive but slightly vague to protect himself, "Yes, of course she does."

He looked into her eyes and saw the disappointment in them before she looked away from him and started to clean up around them. "Oh. Well, good then."

He realized she really didn't know. And, she looked upset by it. He wondered if maybe he should take more of a chance. He grabbed her hand to stop her nervous movements, but didn't look her in the eye as he spoke for fear of her laughing at him, or worse.

"I mean, she should know."

Her voice was a whisper, "Have you told her?"

"No, do you think I should?"

Hermione nodded, her eyes wide as he finally looked at her.

He smiled softly and to stall a bit longer asked, "Has your boyfriend told you how he feels about you?"

In silence, she continued to stare at him as she shook her head.

His voice was soft but sure as he rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand, "Well, he should. He should tell you that he loves the way your hair changes colors in the sun; the way your eyes reflect your every thought; the way your smile brightens his darkest days. He should tell you that he looks forward to getting up each morning knowing he'll soon get to see your gorgeous face. He should say that having you in his life is like having a dream. That through all of the years of his stupidity and bigotry and pain, he must have done at least one thing right to have earned the right to have you stand by his side. He should tell you that he lo…that he's in love with you."

He watched her eyes well with tears and saw her take a shuddered breath, but rushed on, "He should tell you that every moment of every day. Because a beautiful, brilliant, powerful witch like you shouldn't ever have to wonder how he feels."

The tears coursed down her reddened cheeks in complete opposition to the smile that bloomed across her face. He saw her take a breath and felt her hand squeeze his as she wiped at her eyes with her other hand.

"Oh Draco," she sighed. "That was beautiful."

"So's my girlfriend," he answered with a soft smile. Then he cleared his throat nervously and asked, "But, um, if I told her all of that, what do you think her reaction might be?"

Hermione leaned closer and answered, "She would say that she's lucky to have found you; the real you. That she's never had anyone say anything so perfect to her in all her life. And, that she loves you, too."

Tired of the game and wanting to hear her say it directly he asked, "Do you really?"

"Yes." She reached out the hand not held in his and slid it down his cheek. "I love you, Draco."

"Thank you," he answered sincerely pausing to kiss her palm as it passed his lips. "Thank you, Hermione, for forgiving me, for becoming my friend, and for loving me despite myself."

She smiled and nodded, but then prompted with a tiny smirk, "And?"

"And, what?" he teased.

"Come on, Draco. I said it," she encouraged.

"Said what?" he asked with a laugh. When she smacked his arm he grinned. "I love you, too, Hermione Jean Granger."

"Thank you for that sickening declaration, Mr. Malfoy. But, if you kiss her in my class I will be forced to take points from my own house for public displays of private affection," Snape's voice drawled from the front of the classroom.

Both Hermione and Draco's heads whipped to the front to see the entire class staring at them. Most of the girls had dreamy looks on their faces, while the majority of the boys looked like they were ready to laugh or vomit. Only two looked angry, and as Hermione and Draco were both too embarrassed to look into the faces of their classmates any longer, neither acknowledged Harry or Blaise's feelings on the matter.

Snape once again got everyone's attention, "Now, before this continues and we all become too ill to enjoy our upcoming lunches, I suggest you bring your potions to the front and clean your areas. And, let me remind those of you who think this weekend's Halloween ball is an excuse to not study, you will have a two foot scroll due to me on the positive and negative uses of the Caudex root on Monday."

Thankfully, the moans and groans of that news helped alleviate some of the attention Hermione and Draco had gained and they were able to clean up quickly and hurry out of class without a lot of fuss. Neither wanted to be questioned or harassed by their friends, so they hurriedly decided to grab some food from the all-house common room and find a spot to themselves to talk.

xxxxxx


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.  
_  
_**Chapter 22**

Harry was angry. He was angry at Draco for entering their lives at all, Hermione for getting involved with Draco, and Snape for being himself. He was still angry with Dumbledore for the things he'd put him through in the past; and now for continuing to look so apologetic every time they saw one another. He even felt anger at Ginny and Ron for not understanding his anger. Then, as he put his books in his bag and began to head up to lunch, Harry realized he would have to sit at the same table as the best friend of his worst enemy and felt the anger rise like bile in his throat.

Initially, he and Blaise had made a pact to avoid confrontation at meals by not speaking unless forced to do so. Unfortunately, their forced closeness and all the time they spent in the Head's Room together soon made that pact unrealistic and they found themselves talking, reluctantly about school issues, the students at their table, and classes. It hadn't been as difficult as Harry had thought it would be, as Blaise was as intelligent as he was stubborn and they often helped each other with difficult class assignments. As intelligent people they found it mutually beneficial to collaborate over meals rather than fight.

But, after having witnessed Draco and Hermione's confessions to one another, Harry didn't think he could handle sitting with Blaise and pretending like life was perfectly fine. Blaise's dislike of Hermione was as strong as Harry's of Draco. It was the one subject each avoided around the other and the one thing Harry knew they wouldn't be able to talk around that day. With a beleaguered sigh, he slung his bag up on his shoulder and turned to the door, where he found himself facing Blaise. What he saw in the other man's face shocked the anger out of him.

Blaise looked defeated, beaten and sad.

Harry swallowed and took one step towards the darker man. "Um, time for lunch. You coming?"

Blaise shook his head, "No, I…not hungry." He moved towards the door and said over his shoulder, "Potter, do you ever feel like…never mind."

Harry asked, "What?" although he was unsure if he really wanted to know the question.

Blaise turned and looked at him for a long moment before he sighed, "Nothing. Just tired."

They both walked out of the classroom and silently started their trek up the dungeon stairs. Harry couldn't ignore the look he saw on Blaise's face and decided to try again. He thought he knew what Blaise was feeling, as he'd felt it too often himself.

Harry didn't turn his head as he asked, "Do I ever feel like I have no control over my life and no idea how I lost that control?"

When Blaise didn't answer, Harry continued, "Do I ever feel like there are days I want to scream until everyone and everything starts making sense again?"

Blaise released a small grunt and Harry, encouraged, continued, "Do I ever feel like everything would be perfect if everyone would just stop doing things that piss me off?"

Blaise finally joined the conversation as they reached the top of the steps, "Yeah. I mean, I know things have changed, I know things are, I guess, better. But, why does it have to get rubbed in my face? Why can't people just leave things well enough alone for a while?"

"Exactly!" Harry nodded.

Blaise pushed open the door to the Great Hall and continued with his voice pitched so only Harry could hear in keeping with their promise to not fight at meals. "I just got my head wrapped around the whole war and all that shit and now I have to deal with my best friend being in an unholy, unnatural relationship with that, that…HER!"

Harry sat down next to him and said, "Hey, watch it! That's MY best friend you're talking about."

"Whatever, Potter!" Blaise rolled his eyes. "You don't like it any more than I do."

"True, but only because I can't see what a witch with so many options open to her sees in your ferret-faced, freak of a friend."

"Now you watch it, Potter," Blaise hissed. "She's lucky he would give her the time of day. She's a disaster!"

"Oh really?" Harry asked in a hushed voice. "I've seen you looking at her, Zabini. She may be like a sister to me, but I'm a bloke, too. Disaster, my ass."

"Just shut it," Blaise snapped.

Harry shook his head with a small laugh and attacked his sandwich. If only Hermione knew. Harry shook his head as he realized the anger he'd held onto for so long had somehow abated a bit. Just having someone agree with him, even in a partial way, made him feel a bit better. He still didn't like Draco, and the thought of Hermione throwing her love away on someone like him, sickened Harry. But still, he felt better, lighter. The anger he'd carried around like a banner had dissipated and for the first time in weeks he felt he could breathe again.

He glanced up at the Head Table and saw Professor Dumbledore looking back at him in question. And, for the first time since school began, Harry smiled at his former mentor.

xxxxxx

"It seems he has finally found some peace," Professor Snape said softly to the wizened wizard next to him.

"I think so," Professor Dumbledore answered with a nod, as he looked back down at his plate.

"One would think you were unhappy with this turn of events," Snape pressed. "Is it not what you have wanted all year?"

Dumbledore sighed as he nodded, "It is. And, I hope it continues. Merlin knows he has been through…I have put him through too much."

"As you used to tell me," Snape answered without looking in Dumbledore's direction, "Sometimes things happen as they are supposed to, no matter how much we wish them otherwise. Perhaps it was his fate to go through all he has, to become the person he is to become, as it was mine to lose what I did to make it possible."

Professor Lupin, who sat on Snape's left, joined the conversation uninvited, "I should document this date. You almost sounded like you didn't hate Harry there for a moment. Don't compare yourself to him!"

"Remus!" his wife Tonks admonished. "Don't start."

Snape sniffed and sat back to fold his arms over his chest as he glared at the man beside him. "As we were having a private conversation, I do not see where anything I have to say is of concern to you, werewolf!"

"Severus!" Dumbledore warned from his right.

"Piss off, you great bat!" Remus grunted.

"You are the one who entered my conversation, without invitation I say again, so I believe it is you who should…piss off, as you say!" Snape hissed.

"Why are you watching Harry?" Remus pressed, his eyes relaying his protectiveness of his friends' only son. "He has done nothing to you!"

"I don't answer to you!"

Remus moved forward until his nose was almost touching Snape's hawkish one and growled, "He is my family. Anything that concerns him, concerns me."

Professor Dumbledore decided it was time to intervene, "Stop this now. Students are watching. Severus, let it go. Remus, drop it."

When both men huffed and sat back from one another, Dumbledore continued quietly. "For different reasons we all care about him in our own ways. No, don't deny it, Severus; it is too late for that. Just as Harry is starting to find some peace in his life, I think it is time we do the same. We can't change the past, not the near past nor long past, and it is time we all stop living as if we could. We have preached to the students that now is the time for change, for new beginnings. It is time for us to all stop pretending and start doing as we have asked them to do. Change must begin with us."

Both Remus and Severus rolled their eyes and looked away, but Dumbledore knew they'd heard his words and would heed them.

"Just think on what I have said," he smiled and turned back to his own meal.

xxxxxx

"He said it in front of the whole class?" Pansy asked in shock from the girls' table across the room.

Ginny nodded dreamily, "It was so sweet. Hermione was crying and smiling. She just looked so happy."

"Maybe the smoke got to him," Luna said as she forked up her salad. "It's a proven fact that certain vapors can cause your brain to malfunction."

"Luna!" Ginny admonished. "I'm sure it wasn't the fumes that made him tell her he loved her."

"Hmmm," Luna answered nonplussed.

Pansy rolled her eyes at Luna and then turned to Ginny, "How did Ron and Harry take it? What did Blaise do?"

Ginny spooned some soup and shrugged, "Harry and Ron? As well as can be expected, I guess. I mean, Ron was fine with it. He didn't even seem to care all that much. And, Harry…well, he's not happy about it, but he didn't lose it or anything."

"That's an improvement," Pansy smiled. "I would have thought he'd try to hex Draco."

"I'm sure he wanted to, but he's sticking to his word. He promised Hermione a week ago that he wouldn't interfere or say anything against them. And, he swore on their friendship that he wouldn't start any more fights with Draco, as long as Draco doesn't start anything with him."

"And, Blaise?"

Ginny shrugged again, "He didn't do anything, so that's something. He looked like he wanted to hex them both into oblivion, but they left too quickly for him to get to do it."

"I would assume he values his Head position more than he wants to keep his old ways alive, as it's something he can hold onto that's his, not just a vague theory. He may not like the way things have changed, but he'll have to accept things eventually." Luna said in her far off voice, even though she looked at neither of her companions as she spoke.

Pansy shook her head a little as if to clear it, "You are so brilliantly strange some days, Luna."

When Luna simply nodded knowingly, Ginny laughed lightly, "I guess modesty is not a Ravenclaw quality."

Luna shrugged and Pansy laughed a little, "Did you, in your wildest dreams, ever think we'd be sitting here like this, Gin? I mean, we're all friends now, I'm not marrying Draco and I'm dating your brother. Hermione "know-it-all, poster girl for the light side" Granger is with Draco "I'm the pureblood dark magic mascot" Malfoy. The boys are all civil to one another. Heck, Theo and Harry are like soul mates or something some days. And, the other day I found Greg and Ron in the library playing wizard's chess like they'd been doing it for years! Even Millie's eased up since she's started dating Greg. Who would have thought it?"

Ginny shook her head in wonder, but before she could answer, Luna re-entered the conversation.

Her voice held a hint of otherworldliness as she said, "Sometimes from the biggest trials and pains, come acceptance and love, life's biggest gains."

Then she shrugged and went back to eating as if she hadn't spoken. Neither of her companions knew what to say and simply stared at her in wonder.

xxxxxx

"What I meant, Quirkie, was I wonder if you want the honor of me taking you to the Halloween ball."

Orla "Quirkie" Quirke, a pretty sixth year Ravenclaw raised an eyebrow at the Head Boy as they stood outside of the Divination classroom and waited for class to start. Then she laughed in his face, "The ball is in three days, Beans. Thank you so much for asking, at the positively very _last_ possible minute, but I do have a date already. Wait? You don't have a date?!"

He crossed his arms and looked down his nose at the girl, "I was narrowing down my options."

"Oh, come off it, Beans. We've known each other since we were babies. I can read you like a book remember?"

When he simply rolled his eyes and looked away from her, she continued, "You know, if I saw you that way, I would say you were nice-looking enough. We both know you're pretty smart. You've got money. You used to be quite the catch. Now, now you're just pissing it all away. You're letting your anger get the best of you. And, you're acting like a ruddy first year Hufflepuff wearing your damn heart on your sleeve all the time like this!"

Blaise huffed and started to interrupt, but she poked him in the chest and continued, "You know you did this to yourself, right? All this pigheaded carrying on you've been doing. For cripe's sake why can't you let it go? You're fine. Your mom is fine. Heck, my father says she's already planning to marry her muggle boyfriend. Everyone is trying to forget all that…unpleasantness from last year, and all you do is walk around like the poster boy for bringing back that dark magic maniac!"

"I do not!" he answered heatedly. "I just don't see why I have to change just because all of you got brainwashed over the summer!"

Hermione leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh. She'd gone up the stairs to deliver a message to Professor Trelawney from Professor Sprout. But, as she'd been about to round the corner to the classroom she'd heard hushed voices and stopped. It wasn't so much nosiness, as much as habit from a year spent sneaking around looking and listening for clues. She winced at the venom in Blaise's voice and stood still to await the rest of the conversation.

"I was NOT brainwashed, you idiot!" Orla hissed as she slapped his arm.

"Stop that!" Blaise flinched. "And, you were, too. You, Greg, Theo, Pansy, even Draco! You're all acting like this is the way things are supposed to be; like Dumbledore was right or something."

"First of all, you knew how I felt about things before that stupid war. You knew I never had anything against non-purebloods."

Blaise nodded, but persisted, "Okay, yeah, but you still hated Granger and her lot and all their happy bullshit."

Orla sighed, "Not really, Blaise."

"You did!"

"No, I didn't. I don't like Hermione Granger. That's it. I have nothing against the rest of them. Never did."

"See! You hate that mudblood bitch as much as I do!" He crowed triumphantly.

Hermione, still standing around the corner felt like she'd been slapped. Tears welled in her eyes and she swallowed to hold back the sniffle that threatened to give away her hiding place.

"First, don't ever say that repulsive word near me again or you will have lost the last friend you seem to have. Second, as she is not a dog in any way, I will ask you to not compare her to one!" Orla snapped at him.

Blaise was shocked, "But? But, you said…"

"I said that I, Orla Quirke, don't like her, Hermione Granger. I didn't say or imply that I didn't like anyone because of something as stupid as their blood. It's all the same color when you're bleeding on the floor! I didn't say I didn't agree with what they fought for last year. And, I didn't say I thought Professor Dumbledore was wrong! And, I will thank you to not put words in my mouth. My issues with her have to do with her wasting that brilliant mind on a bunch of useless nitwits, such as her Gryffindor friends. She had such potential. She could have been one of the greatest minds of our time. She could have solved life's greatest mysteries. She could have taken Ravenclaw to a whole new level! But, no, she allowed her brain to be used like a communal library by that Order group and those buffoons she calls friends. And then she entered into that base, disgusting war like a common person!"

Blaise stepped back a bit from the girl's anger, "Well, she was kind of fighting for her life, Quirkie."

"And? What gave her the right to risk that mind?"

"Well, it is hers," he shrugged.

"Are you defending her actions?!" Orla hissed.

"No, no. But Quirkie, she didn't really have a choice. She would have been killed," he explained carefully. He hadn't seen his friend let loose her anger in a long while and it unnerved him.

"And, what about allowing herself to be used! Like a damn library book!" Orla snapped.

Blaise was completely boggled, "She was strategizing for them. I would've thought you would understand that."

Orla stepped closer and poked his chest, "So what? Just because she was doing it for a greater good gives her the right to risk destroying all that potential?"

Blaise stepped back and shrugged, "Well, yeah."

Orla persisted, "Are you trying to tell me that just because she was doing what she thought was right, I should not hate her?!"

Blaise, tired of being pushed and poked bit out, "Yes, dammit. That's what I'm saying. Now, stop poking me!"

He watched as she stepped back and smiled triumphantly up at him. She then reached down to pick up her bag, "Point made."

Before he could respond, the door to the classroom opened and Professor Trelawney beckoned them into the room. Orla was through the door in a blink along with the rest of the students and Blaise was left standing alone in the hall with his mouth still hanging open. Or, so he believed until he heard a sound at the corner. When he looked he saw a long brown curl caught on the stone wall.

With a heavy sigh he said, "Do you always stick that bushy head of yours into other people's business, Granger? How very Slytherin of you."

He heard her gasp before she stepped out from around the corner. He noticed her flushed face and wondered how much she'd heard.

Then instead of looking sheepish as he expected, Hermione raised her chin proudly and said, "Draco must be rubbing off on me."

Blaise opened his mouth to retort, but realized she'd stolen his line and snapped it closed. The respect for her that he'd kept a tight rein on all year fluttered up once again and he smiled a bit at her before he turned away. With a shake of his head he walked into the room before he let loose the chuckle that threatened to escape.

xxxxxx

"And, then he almost laughed!"

Draco smirked at the look of shock on his girlfriend's face, "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm serious, Draco!" Hermione snapped. "He smiled. AND, he almost laughed. It was like we had a…a moment or something."

Draco slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. They sat near the lake hidden from view by a large grouping of trees. It had been his idea to go outside for a walk after supper as it was a nice, warm night, and with winter coming there wouldn't be too many more like it. "Don't be so devastated, luv. He couldn't go on hating you forever, now could he?"

Hermione ignored him as she continued, "It was all just so strange. I mean, I've always known Orla didn't like me, but I had no idea why. I thought it was because she's a pureblood and I'm not, but now…"

"But, now you realize there are thousands of reasons to not like you, other than your blood," Draco laughed.

"Would you stop making jokes!" she demanded. "This isn't funny!"

Draco shook his head at her and took her hand in his, "Would you calm down. And, yes, it is."

Hermione tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tightly, "What exactly do you find so bloody funny about any of this?!"

"Oh, I don't know. How about the fact that you're more affronted that she doesn't like you because of your brain, than because of your birth? Or, the fact that Blaise is starting to finally come around and that's flipping you out? Or, the thing that I find the most amusing; that you're upset that a mere Ravenclaw could get through Blaise's thick skull in one reverse psych talk, while you with all of your many speeches couldn't."

Hermione succeeded in pulling her hand away and crossed her arms petulantly, "Stop acting like you know me so well! And, none of that is funny!"

Draco smiled, but held back his laugh. He thought it was all pretty funny, but he knew pushing her would only make things worse. She absolutely hated being wrong and it never failed to tick her off when things didn't go exactly as she'd planned. She was, without a doubt, a control freak. But, he loved that about her.

"Well, I do know you," he smirked. But, when her eyebrow rose imperiously he added, "Aw, come on Hermione, stop pouting. At least he's thinking about it now, regardless of who made it so. That's a good thing, right?"

"Of course, but…" she started.

He continued, "And, there will always be people who don't like other people for a wide variety of reasons, good and bad. At least Quirkie's honest in her dislike of you wasting that brain of yours."

"I am not wast…"

"And, who cares what she, he or anyone thinks of you. Isn't that what you're always telling me?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"So, now we can stop talking about them and talk about us."

Hermione blinked at his bright smile and shook her head. It was always during their disagreements when she was reminded how very Slytherin he could be. He wasn't cruel with it anymore, but he still maintained his way of twisting words around so they worked in his favor.

Besides, she reminded herself, he was actually right.

"Fine," she sighed as she lay back on the ground and looked up at the stars. "But, Draco, should I go talk to him or something?"

"No," he answered as he stretched out on his side next to her and put his hand on her stomach.

"No?" she asked, her eyes wide and shining in the moonlight.

"No," he smiled. "Blaise needs to think this through on his own, just like the rest of us did. He's getting there, but don't push him."

"I wasn't going to push, I was just…"

"Going to push," he answered with a small laugh. To soften the remark, he gave her a quick, soft kiss, "Love, you know I love the way you take charge of things. And, more often than not, it helps get things done. But, I also know Blaise. Just leave it okay?"

Hermione looked up at his light eyes, realized his sincerity and sighed, "Okay."

"Good," he smiled. Then his smile turned to a playful leer, "Now, can we get off the topic of Blaise and get on to more pleasurable things?"

She giggled as his hand slid up her stomach and his thumb moved back and forth under her right breast. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I can think of a thing or two," he laughed.

xxxxxx


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Their laughter ceased as he leaned over her and his lips ghosted over hers lightly for a moment. When she sighed and lifted her hands to slide them under his arms and around his back to pull him closer, he deepened the kiss, his hard body lying across her softer one. As their tongues started to glide along one another's he shifted to the side and slid his hand up her side to find her breast through her shirt.

When his fingers lightly danced over her, Hermione gasped and arched up into his hand, even as she raised one hand to tunnel it through his hair. When he broke the kiss and nibbled his way from her lips to her ear, she felt a sharp answering pull between her thighs and moaned against his ear. She then smiled a little as she felt him shiver and heard his answering groan.

Kissing Draco was like coming home after a very long day; she felt more centered, at peace. But, quite quickly that comfort turned to an achy neediness. She was very happy that the nervousness had faded over the past few weeks. She no longer felt like she didn't know what to do with her hands. She no longer wondered if he wanted her to touch him or if he would mind if she did. She was no longer self-conscious about the way she kissed or the sounds she made. He seemed to like it all, so she'd stopped worrying and started enjoying.

As his hand slid slowly under her blouse and he moved closer to kiss and lick his way down her neck, she sighed in pleasure. It still amazed her that they'd come such a long way in only a few weeks, but she knew in many ways they'd been getting there for years. The boy who'd made her cry had become the man that made her want. He loved her, wasn't afraid to say so, and reveled in her responses back to him. Each time she told him she loved him; she got to see him light up from within. And, she felt the echoing glow throughout her entire soul.

He was right for her. She was right for him. They were right.

She felt him still his hand over her bra and then slide back down her stomach and almost groaned at the loss of his touch. That thought made her pull away from him for a moment in decision. When he looked at her with a mix of trepidation and confusion, she smiled softly and leaned up to peck him on the lips.

"Hold on," she whispered. Then she crawled over to her robe, removed her wand and cast a warming charm over the two of them before tossing the wand back onto their pile of robes. She glanced around once more to assure herself they were quite alone and well hidden from prying eyes before she once again met his gaze.

"Do you love me?" she asked softly.

"I do. You know I do," he answered with a smile, his eyes almost glowing with it.

"I'm ready for more," she said even as a blush crept up her neck.

Draco's face held confusion as he asked, "What? More how?"

He continued to stare at her and felt a bit of relief as he realized she wasn't upset with him for going too quickly. But, when she moved away a bit further and kneeled next to him he wondered what was going on in her head.

Hermione swallowed back her nerves, looked him in the eye and pulled off her shirt. When his eyes widened and he seemed transfixed on her bra, she smiled proudly and continued. Leaning up on her knees she unzipped her skirt and wiggled it down to the ground before sitting down and pulling it off her legs along with her shoes and socks. Left in only her bra and underwear, she sat back on her heels and looked at him with a blush, a grin, and a challenge in her eyes.

Draco knew the shock he felt was clear on his face, but he couldn't stop it. His girlfriend had just stripped in front of him. Hermione Granger had just stripped in front of him! She wanted him to show her how much he loved her and she was half-naked. In her bra and knickers! He knew she was naïve, but he was gob smacked that she didn't know the affect her actions had on him. She was practically naked and the look in her eyes was not helping him maintain control. She looked like she was ready for a good shag and he didn't…

Hermione almost laughed out loud as his emotions played across his normally non-expressive face. And, when his eyes, which had been speedily moving over her scantily clad form, bulged almost out of his head; she knew he'd finally caught up to her…and then passed her.

"Hermione, you…now?" he squeaked.

"No! Not everything yet. Soon, I think, but not quite yet," she laughed softly. But, then she took a breath and moved closer, "But, I…I want to do more than we have. I'm ready for that."

He cleared his throat and sat up, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, but looked down uncomfortably, "Unless you, uh, don't want to. With me, I mean."

Draco's breath whooshed out, "Are you knackered?! Of course, I want to! Let me show you how much," he whispered.

He leaned in and captured her lips with his and she let the feelings sweep her into a place of bliss.

Draco felt her hands trying to undress him and pulled back from their frenzied kiss. "Wait."

Hermione stopped and looked up at him, "What? Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not at all," he assured her and leaned down to kiss her once again before continuing. "But, I want to really see you."

Hermione blinked in confusion, "Huh?"

"All of you," he added.

When his eyes flicked down over her, she finally understood. "Oh. Um, okay. But, do I, uh, get to…"

"See me?" When she nodded, he smiled cockily, "Of course."

"You go first then," she said as she sat back on her bum and crossed her arms over her body.

Draco's nerves revved up, but he nodded in agreement and kept the slight smirk on his face. He knew he looked good, enough girls had told him so, and he worked hard to keep his body fit. But, it didn't matter what other girls thought about him, it only mattered what Hermione thought, because only she mattered to him. He knew she was even more innocent then he was and he hoped she liked what she was about to see.

As Draco stood up and slowly peeled off his clothes, Hermione's face at first reddened, but then took on a more appreciative look. She smiled as his shirt fell to the ground and she saw his upper body in the moon light. The shadows played across his chest and abs, and she saw the makings of what would be a finely sculpted, chiseled look as he finished maturing. His rigorous quidditch exercise regiment had already given him enough definition to make her almost purr in excitement. They had touched and felt one another's upper bodies quite a bit over the past few weeks, but she hadn't really had a chance to just look at him.

Then he dropped his pants and as he bent to remove his shoes and socks she noticed the way the muscles in his thighs tightened and she felt a pull in her lower belly that almost made her gasp. The light hairs on his legs shone in the moonlight and enhanced the long lean look he had. When he straightened she saw the bulge in his underwear and her breath caught in her throat.

Draco stopped when he heard her gasp, "Are you okay?"

Hermione nodded, but never took her eyes off his underwear, so she missed the full blown smirk on his face. But, then he noticed how almost scared she looked and stopped with his hands on his waistband. Kneeling back down he caught her hands in his and waited until her eyes lifted to his.

"Okay, your turn again."

She seemed to snap out of her trance-like state, "What? But,"

"I'm down to my skivvies, here. My turn to see a bit more of you," he urged. Then he leaned in and kissed her cheek, near her ear, before he whispered, "Please?"

Hermione shivered as his warm breath ran over her neck and ear and could only nod. Thankfully, he kept kissing and nibbling on her neck and ear, so she felt less self-conscious as his hands quickly undid her bra and it fell between them on the transfigured cloak that was their blanket.

Draco sighed against her neck as his hands slowly slid up her waist to rest on her naked breasts. He'd felt them through her bra several times, but had not wanted to push her by stepping further over the line. Now, with one breast in each hand and her nipples poking softly into his palm, the silky texture of her skin sent a sharp arrow of need straight to his groin. He finally moved his hands to feel the tight buds of her nipples between his fingers and heard her moan softly when he pinched them slightly. They weren't his first, but a part of him already thought they may be his last and he slowly pulled back for his first look.

Her idea or not, when he moved away from her, Hermione immediately wanted to cover her chest with her hands, but the look of awe and appreciation on his face stopped her. The heat from his eyes scorched her and she knew she had made the right choice. His obvious pleasure at seeing her made her heart beat faster and she found herself wanting to touch him again.

"Merlin, you're beautiful," he breathed as he once again reached for her. But, this time, rather than kiss her lips, he leaned down and placed a kiss on the top each breast. Then he looked her in the eye once more.

Hermione could only smile as she moved to lie down on her back on the blanket. "Kiss me," she whispered.

Draco stretched out next to her once again and followed her direction. He kissed her with everything he had, but his hands continued to dance across her chest, kneading and tweaking her nipples every few moments. When her hands came up and wound in his hair to hold him closer he moaned and lay across her more fully.

Hermione moaned in pleasure as his hard chest rubbed against her sensitive breasts and he deepened the kiss. She let her hands travel slowly down his shoulders and around to his back, and reveled in the flexing of his muscles under her fingers.

Draco broke away to kiss and lick his way down to her chest. He wanted to taste the tight buds that poked at him. He slid down a bit, took one in his mouth and flicked his tongue against it, even as his hand continued to toy with the other. She felt like satin and tasted like heaven. He groaned as he sucked her nipple into his mouth and sent his tongue to swirl around it.

Hermione couldn't quite get one thought to stick as she felt each swipe of his tongue and each pull of his fingers. When he sucked hard on first one and then the other, she felt the echoing pull between her thighs and moaned his name.

Hearing his name fall from her lips like a prayer sent Draco almost to the edge. He kissed the tip of her breast one more time before he pulled back and fought for control as he breathed heavily over her. Just as he regained it, Hermione ran her hand over his hair and moved her hips restlessly under him and his body demanded he get back to business.

"Can I?" he asked as he put his fingers to the waistband of her plain blue panties. When she nodded he pulled them down and grinned at her when she lifted her hips to help him. Then he looked down and his breath caught. "Gods."

Hermione squirmed under his intense stare, "Draco?"

He didn't stop staring as he whispered, "Can I touch you?"

"Uh, yes?" she half asked half answered; and unsure of what else to do she looked up at the moon. The warmth that had been spreading through her body quickly dissipated as nerves took over and her brain went into overdrive.

_I should have made him go first again. Now, what do I do? What was I thinking starting this? Am I really ready for this? I want him so badly I ache sometimes. Should I just let it continue and be done with it? What is he doing down there? Why is he so still? Should I just lay here? Am I supposed to be doing something? Does it look disgusting? Why is he so quiet? Should I be looking at him? When did I do my last shave charm? Why did I start this?! What's he doing down there? He asked to touch me, why is he just looking? Does it look weird? Is it different from others? I wonder how he'll touch me. Will he use his hands only? Or, will he…EEP!_

Hermione's thoughts scattered as Draco leaned down and nuzzled his nose in her short curls and ran a finger from there down to her entrance. Then he kissed her softly and moved his finger back up before repeating the move. She felt the heat flood her once more as her thoughts scattered; and when he traced small circles around her sensitive button she was quite suddenly back on fire. She'd gotten to know her body enough to know what she wanted and opened her legs a bit further as she lifted her hips to force his finger more firmly against her aching nub.

Draco groaned when she moved against his hand and he felt his body tighten in response. He wanted so badly to taste her, but he didn't think he would last long if he did. So, as to not embarrass himself, he lifted his head from her and looked at her flushed face, even as he kept his fingers moving around her now slick opening.

_Merlin she feels good. And, she is so beautiful slowly losing control like that. How far is she going to let this go before she stops me? I just want to bury myself in her tight warm…NO! Quidditch! McGonagall naked. Snape naked. McGonagall and Snape naked. No, too much. Don't get carried away…Oh Merlin, I love that sound she makes when I slide my finger in like that. Gods she's tight, time for two fingers. I hope I don't hurt her too much when I finally get to…_

"Dracoooo," she moaned. "Oh, God, don't stop, don't stop."

He looked up at her flushed and shining face and felt her body tightening around his finger. Her hands moved restlessly between his shoulders and the blanket, and her eyes were tightly closed as she fought her way to release. His own urges took a backseat to his overwhelming desire to see her lose all control at his hand. He moved his hand so he could continue to stroke her as he rubbed her sensitive nub with his thumb and was rewarded by a high pitched keen and her hips moving a bit faster against his hand.

Then she came. Hard. He was surprised to watch as both her legs and her upper body lifted off the blanket and her entire body shook as she let out a low pitched groan. He smiled hugely when she released a low long moan of his name and fell back against the blanket with a bemused smile, her body shaking with the force of her release.

"Wow," she laughed a little. "That was…"

"Amazing," he smiled in awe as he whispered, "You're absolutely gorgeous when you…"

"Draco!" she admonished as she blushed.

"Are you seriously getting embarrassed now?!" he laughed. When she shrugged, but giggled, he moved up to kiss her and she slid her hands up his sides and around his back.

Hermione sighed as his body half covered hers and his weight pressed her into the blanket. She felt him pulsing against her hip and decided it was time for her to return the favor. She broke the kiss and he continued down her neck she whispered, "Your turn," and bravely put her hands to his boxers.

Draco didn't even pretend to argue as he shimmied out of the barrier. He groaned when her fingers grazed him lightly and bucked against her hand. "Hermione."

She smiled up at him and then pushed his shoulder to get him to roll off her to the side. It was her turn to look and she leaned up on her elbow to shyly, but resolutely, look down. What she saw surprised her. She'd seen many pictures, some magical and thus rather realistic, of the male anatomy in books, but seeing it attached to a real body gave her pause. It looked bigger, less artistic, more…real. She took a breath and reached out to touch him.

When she experimentally wrapped her hand around him and he hissed her name, she felt a thrill of feminine power flow through her. Moving slowly, she slid her hand up to the tip and ran her fingers over the top. She looked up in time to see Draco close his eyes as he arched into her hand, and she slowly moved her fist back down to the base.

"Oh Merlin," he groaned when she moved her hand faster and tightened her grip a bit. Hermione was technically mostly innocent, but she'd heard enough from the other girls in her year, and from Ginny, to know what she was supposed to do. She'd never wanted to do it with Ron, as she thought it would be disgusting and a bit disturbing. And, Ron, bless him, had never pushed her. But, when faced with the chance to make Draco feel as good as he'd made her feel, she could only feel a yearning eagerness.

Leaning over so that her hair trailed behind her, she kissed her way down his chest and licked at the light sheen of sweat on his body. She kept sliding her hand up and down in a steady rhythm and smiled against his skin as he moaned her name over and over again. Moving closer to her goal she kissed the line where his hip met his leg and nuzzled her nose against him like he'd done to her. She was rewarded with a hiss of his breath and an explosion of her name once again.

Settling more comfortably between his thighs, she finally took him in her mouth. She hadn't known what to expect, but the feel and taste of him, pulsing warm steel covered in soft, smooth deliciousness, made her moan against him. She ran her tongue from tip to base and back up again before taking him in again and sucking enough to make his hips rise from the blanket.

Draco was in heaven. He'd had his share of girls go down on him, but none with such thoroughness, such devotion to his pleasure. He knew this was her first time, and thanked Merlin she was a fast learner as he grabbed the blanket to keep from grabbing her hair and holding her against him. Her warm mouth, hot wet sweeping tongue, and the non-stop movement of her hands were quickly driving him crazy. In that moment he would have gladly promised himself to St. Mungo's Experimental Research Department for life if only she would promise to not stop. Every time he released a moan or groan of pleasure at something she'd done, she repeated the action with renewed vigor, causing him to moan again. It was a pleasure cycle he didn't want to end.

Too soon in his opinion his body proved to have other ideas and he felt the telltale signs of release coming on too quickly to stop it. He pushed at her shoulders with his eyes tightly closed as he grunted, "I'm going to…Hermione…you shou…oh…"

Then his body took the ride that was better than any broom flight and he saw stars. When his release was complete, leaving him panting in the night air, he finally opened his eyes and saw her wiping her hand on the grass beside them. Her captivating eyes were wide in surprise, but her smile was soft and proud.

Hermione was in awe. She hadn't expected to feel an answering pull in her own body as he'd reached nirvana, her body aching to experience it with him. She didn't know how wonderful she would feel knowing she was the one to take him there. And, she hadn't given a thought to how beautiful he would be, his naked body arched in the moonlight, her name ripped from his lips.

"Merlin, Hermione," he gasped as he reached for her and pulled her up to rest on his chest. Their lips met and both sighed in happiness.

Draco couldn't hold his head up any longer and ended the kiss as he let his head fall back and closed his eyes. He held her close as he tried to breathe more evenly before once again opening his eyes to peer up at her. He almost laughed at the look on her face. He could read her so clearly and almost answered the question before she posed it, but held his tongue to wait her out.

Hermione rubbed his chest absently as he breathed under her and the sexual haze faded and her brain took control again. She didn't want to ask, as she felt it would make her look silly. It was obvious he had enjoyed himself. But, a part of her wondered if she should have done something else; something more. She knew he'd had previous experiences and she wasn't sure if it was jealousy or competiveness that made her so unsure of herself. But, she had to know.

"Was it…was I…"

"A perfect O, Ms. Granger," he teased with a light laugh. "In fact, I would say an O+++."

She blushed, smiled, and put her head down on his chest as he continued to run his hands lightly over her back. They were then content to lie quietly in each other's embrace, their thoughts following a similar path to the next time. Draco, wanting to ensure there was a next time, and the possibility of more sooner than later, finally broke the silence.

"I love you."

"I know," she smiled playfully as she lifted her head to look down at him.

"And?" he prompted with a raised eyebrow.

Hermione grinned and rolled off of him as she reached for her clothes, "And, what?"

She squealed when he reached for her and pulled her back against him to tickle her sides until she responded properly. But, when his hands slid up and landed on her breasts, they both stilled and fell into a kiss that she felt all the way to her toes. When the kiss broke she looked up at him and smiled tenderly as she pushed his hair out of his eyes.

Draco looked at her and waited to hear the words he'd grown addicted to come from her deliciously swollen lips. He ended up growling and attacking her once again though, when she instead grinned cheekily, "I guess I might like you a fair bit, too."

xxxxxx

Two days before the ball, everyone once again entered Potions class and quietly took their seats. Their silence was, in part, because of Snape's menacing figure standing in front of the room with his arms folded across his chest as he stared hard at each student that made any noise. But, the other reason was that everyone was busy chancing glances back at Draco and Hermione. No one had forgotten their last class, or the declarations of the school's most unexpected couple, and most waited to see if they could add any more information to the gossip mill. Everyone snapped to attention, facing forward, when Snape began his directions for the day.

"As our last class was disrupted," here he sniffed disdainfully and his eyes flicked to Draco and Hermione in the back corner. "I have decided that today, instead of making a potion, we will test your knowledge."

When murmurs of complaint began, he simply glared at the room at large and very effectively silenced the lot.

His sneer remained as he continued, "Headmistress McGonagall has instructed all of your professors to show more examples of the muggle world in our teachings. As such, we will begin to mix into this class two things I have found to be useful enough. The first we will begin after the holiday break. You will begin to add to this class some of the information from the muggle counterpart to this class, known as chemistry."

The muggle born, as well as some of the mixed blood students almost smiled in anticipation. This was not the worse news they could have heard. Many knew of the subject from friends at home, and were actually looking forward to learning some of it. The pureblood students looked confused, but as none of the other students seemed to be freaking out about it, they figured it wouldn't be too awful.

Snape's next words wiped the tentative smiles off of everyone's faces.

"The other item I have chosen to utilize in this class is not one I have tried before, as it didn't seem relevant. But, as Professor Mills has explained the benefits of it to us, we have all come to believe in its merits."

The smile that lit his face was one of the more horrifying things the students had seen. When Neville let out an involuntary groan, a sound that normally caused laughter and derision, it was proof of the level of fear in the room that even a few Slytherins looked at him in pity.

"As of today, we will begin having what is most commonly called a pop quiz."

For the pureblood students, this statement conjured pictures of enlarging potions and bodily explosions, and they looked at their Professor in horror. But, it soon became clear to them that none of the other students were upset. Even Neville had let out a breath of relief.

Snape saw the looks pass from student to student and almost yelled in frustration. When Peyton had explained the idea of the pop quiz, she had given the teachers, most especially him, the idea that the students would quake with fear upon hearing the words. She'd led him to believe it was akin to a muggle teacher's torture device. He would have a word with her after the class about what constituted torture, but just then he needed to finish the class.

He let his displeasure with the class' reaction show on his face and be heard in his voice when he hissed, "Everyone stand and move to the back of the room."

No one questioned him as they scurried to the back; they didn't want to draw his wrath. They stood quietly as their professor quickly levitated the cauldrons and desks to the sides of the room and then lined the chairs up in straight rows facing the front of the class.

"Each of you will get three chances to answer and one point will be awarded per person for each correct answer. Wrong answers will lose your house two points each. All partners who have sat on the left side of the table will sit on the left side of the room. The rest of you on the right. Move!"

He waited until they had all taken a seat and then pointed at one student on each side, "Ms. Patil. Mr. Thomas. Stand!"

When both lurched to their feet he continued, "As Ravenclaw has one less student, for this round only, you, Ms. Patil, will earn 4 or lose 8 depending on your answer. The first person to touch their wand to the stone on the table in front of you gets to answer. The other will lose one point and have a seat. Questions?"

No one uttered a word and he took that as consent. "So, we begin. In what potion would one use knotgrass?"

Padma's wand beat Dean's by less than a hair and she answered, "Polyjuice Potion."

Snape barely nodded, but her smile bloomed in victory and the other Ravenclaws in the class let out squeaks of joy. Dean realized he'd just lost the Gryffindors a house point and accepted the pats on his shoulder with an upset shrug.

"Oh, one more thing," Snape hissed over the growing chatter. "The order each house finishes in today will be the grade you receive for the day. Each student in the house with the highest number of points won will receive an O for the day; second and third, an E and A, respectively. And, everyone in the house with the lowest number of points won will receive a P."

He smirked when several of the happy smiles fell from the students' faces. "Granger. Zabini. How EXACTLY would one cut the ginger roots in a Wit-Sharpening Potion?"

Blaise's wand hadn't even left his side when Hermione's tapped the stone. She heard his huff as she gave her answer, but refrained from looking in his direction as she went back to her seat with a small smile.

Questions continued with each house gaining and losing points throughout the first two rounds pretty evenly. But, by the third round the questions had gotten more complex, more reflective of their upcoming N.E.W.T.S., and the tension rose dramatically. By the time they'd gotten through the first of the five rows, the winning house had dropped to third and the losing house was in first place. Even Ginny, Hermione and Draco's confidences had been shaken by having only received a half a point for their last answers.

Then, as Neville, having lost his first two rounds, stood quaking in front of Snape waiting for his final question, the inevitable happened. His arm shot out before Snape had even opened his mouth to voice the question, and a spark shot out of his wand directly at the teacher.

Snape's shock was complete when, before he could raise his wand or attempt to dodge the spell, he felt himself enveloped in a protective warmth and watched the spell bounce off of the shield and burn a whole in his blackboard. He quickly looked to those of his house to see who had achieved such a perfect Protego spell, but his eyes found those of Harry Potter as the younger man lowered his arm.

The class held its breath when Snape ended the spell and stared at Harry.

The words the professor uttered next would still be talked about months later, as the shock had yet to wear off of anyone who had heard them.

"Mr. Potter! Ten points to Gryffindor. Class dismissed!"

xxxxxx

"I was there, remember? Potter got points from Professor Snape. Yippee. Give it a rest already!" Draco grunted from his place at the table in the all house common room. As their friendships had grown, most of the group had taken to meeting after dinner there to study and talk about their days.

The hot topic for the remainder of the day, as it was passed from student to student, was how Snape had actually awarded points, not only to Gryffindor, but to Harry Potter. As it was a first, even some of the teachers had been heard talking about in the halls between classes. As the day had progressed though, some of the students, mostly Slytherins and Ravenclaws, had gotten very tired of hearing about it. Even without Harry in the room, everyone seemed to be talking about it.

Hermione knew Draco was reaching the end of his patience, so despite her own exuberance, she reached over and put her hand on his knee.

"Sorry, hon," she answered softly near his ear. "But, honestly, I don't think it's near over. Whether you like it or not, it's pretty big news."

"Yeah, whatever," he answered sullenly. Then he kissed her on the cheek and asked, "How about I meet you back here in a couple of hours? We can finish studying then."

Hermione nodded and helped him pack up his bag as she asked, "But, what about you? Where are you going to go? Back to your room?"

Draco laughed at her rapid-fire questions and then silenced her with a kiss that earned them catcalls from their friends. When he pulled back and looked down into her flushed face he smirked and winked.

Then he grabbed her hand, "Walk me out?" When she nodded he led the way through the room to the doors and outside.

No sooner had she cleared the doorframe than she found herself pressed against the wall beside it, Draco's lips once again on hers. With a happy sigh, she slid her arms around his waist and held on for the ride.

Minutes later, when Draco felt himself getting too into things, he pulled back. He smoothed her hair out of her face as he whispered, "Two hours and we pick up where we left off."

Hermione moaned at the loss of contact, but straightened with a nod. "You never answered my question. Where will you be?"

Draco smiled as he traced her lips with his finger, "I've got some family stuff to do."

"Like what?" she answered as she kissed his fingertip.

Draco rolled his eyes dramatically and sighed, "I promised Tonks I would come by again sometime this week. She said Teddy misses me."

Hermione smiled, "Oh. How swee…"

"Don't," he cut her off with a laugh. "Just meet me back here in two hours."

Hermione tried to turn down the wattage of her smile and nodded.

Draco shook his head, gave her a quick peck and turned away to go see his cousins.

Hermione watched him walk away and smiled at the pep in his step and the contented smile on his face.

xxxxxx

Harry, never one to like notoriety, had fled the main halls as soon as possible after class. He had planned to go back to his room and get some studying done. He was a bit hungry, but didn't want to hear his story retold over and over and figured one missed meal wouldn't hurt. Besides, they kept snacks in the common room kitchenette and he could make a meal of them. Halfway back to his room though he ran into Remus who invited him to dinner with their family. Harry had accepted and the two had gone to find Tonks and Teddy.

Dinner had been filled with laughter as Remus regaled them with tales of his adolescence with Sirius and James. Plus, it was fun to watch Teddy try to maneuver his new spoon around in his peas and mashed potatoes.

After dinner Remus took Teddy to the bathroom to clean him up a bit and Tonks made some tea for the three of them. Harry accepted his cup and leaned back against the sofa as Tonks sat in the chair across from him.

"So, The Great Bat, finally cracked, I heard," she laughed into her tea.

Harry, who had avoided the conversation all day, finally laughed freely, "I would guess so. He was so shocked that Neville almost killed him that his eyes were almost as big as his nose."

Tonks giggled with him, but Remus' voice interrupted from the bathroom, "Would you two show a modicum of respect. He has earned it, don't you think?"

Harry laughed into his sleeve when Tonks yelled back, "Oi! Who was starting fights with him at the dinner table just yesterday?"

When only silence was heard from the bathroom, both she and Harry dissolved into laughter once again.

A knock on the door to their suite interrupted their laughter and Tonks got up to answer the door. Using her wand she performed the spell to reveal who was on the other side of the door and without thinking flung it open.

"Wotcher, cousin!"

"Hey," Draco answered with a grin. "You said I should come by this week."

"Of course," she smiled. "Glad you did. Come on in. Harry and I were…"

An awkward silence filled the room and Draco stilled half in half out of the doorway.

Before anyone could say another word, Teddy squealed from the bathroom doorway and clapped his hands. Remus held onto the squirming child as he began to chant, "Dwake, Dwake, Dwake," and tried to wriggle out of his father's arms.

Despite the circumstances, Draco smiled, "Hey Teddy."

Tonks put her hand on his arm and pulled him further into the room, "I asked Draco over."

Remus nodded stiffly and walked over to sit next to Harry as he spoke, "That's fine. Harry, Teddy and I will just stay out of your way then."

"No, I can go," Harry said as he made to get up.

"No, stay," Remus urged. "We can go in the other room and play a game of Wizard's Chess."

Draco took a step back, "That's okay. I can come back another time."

Harry tried to pull out of Remus' strong grip, "No. It's fine. You're family and I should…"

"You are my family!" Remus grunted.

Tonks huffed loudly and put her hands on her hips, "Oh, grow up all of you! Teddy, who is chewing on his own fist at the moment, is acting more mature than the three of you."

When all three men had the good sense to look chagrined, she continued, "We've been dancing around this for weeks, boys. Remus, you're the adult, start acting like it! Harry, Draco is Teddy and my cousin, he will be around, deal with it! And, Draco, Harry is as much a part of this family as Remus, Teddy and I are, so you deal with it! Now, everyone sit down. You will not bring Teddy into your fights! My son will grow up knowing his ENTIRE family and not with the prejudices of the past to mar it! Now, I am going to make more tea."

No one spoke as she stomped out of the room; even Teddy stared from one man to the other in confusion. Finally, both Harry and Draco spoke at the same time. "Sorry."

"Same," Remus sighed as he fell back on the sofa.

Harry sat back down next to him and Draco sat in the chair Tonks had vacated. None of them looked at the others until Draco cleared his throat and looked at the professor.

"Um, Professor Lupin? Does she always pick green?"

"Remus. Call me Remus, at least in here," the older wizard sighed. Then he nodded, "Yes. When she's angry it's green, happy is pinkish red, hurt white or yellow, depending on the level of pain, and orange, which I rarely see, seems to be fear or worry."

"Don't forget black and brown," Harry laughed a little to ease the tension.

"Oh yes, mustn't forget those," Remus grinned with a wink. Then he seemed to notice that he and Harry were leaving Draco out of the conversation and turned to the blonde man. "At our wedding she was very nervous; excited, but nervous. Her hair was brown most of the day."

Draco couldn't stop the question that followed, "And, the black?"

Remus blushed a bit, but Harry looked at Draco with a smirk, "Started the moment she remembered they would have a wedding night."

Tonks came back in to see the three of them laughing and smiled, "Better not be laughing at my expense."

All three sobered a bit, but when their eyes met, they broke out laughing again. For the first hour Harry mostly played with Teddy and let Draco spend time with Tonks. Remus sat quietly drinking his tea and grading papers. The second hour, by silent agreement, they switched places and Draco got down on the floor with his cousin, while Harry and Remus played a game of chess and Tonks went to straighten up and then take a long bath.

When she came back out, Teddy was sprawled across Draco's chest and slept with his tiny thumb in his mouth. Draco was softly rubbing the child's back as he silently watched the end of the chess game. Not too long afterward, Harry and Draco were saying goodnight, making promises to come by again soon, and walking down the long hall together.

Neither spoke, but both had a lot of thoughts running through their heads about where this left their mutual dislike. As the question seemed to be too big to answer or resolve in one evening, they simply continued to the main corridor in silence. When they reached the point where they would part company they stopped and faced each other.

Harry was the first to straighten his shoulders and offer a grunt of, "Bye, Malfoy."

Draco nodded, "Potter."

Uncomfortably, they both waited to see if the other would speak. But, when neither did, they simply turned and walked away. Uncertainty and confusion warring in their bodies.

xxxxxx


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 24  
**

Greg felt a shiver of revulsion run through his whole body, but forced himself to smile, "I like that one, too, Mil."

"Only three more," she huffed and went back up the stairs.

Greg grimaced and crossed his arms moodily as he sat on the couch in the Slytherin common room the Friday night before the ball. At dinner Millicent had informed him that she wanted him to help her pick out her dress for the Halloween ball because she hadn't figured out which gown to wear. He'd acquiesced, figuring she meant a dress or two. But, as he sat waiting for her to show him her twelfth ugly, shapeless dress he wondered how he'd gotten there.

He liked her well enough and she was very funny when she wasn't being mean or rude. But, he knew he wasn't in love with her. Not like his friends were with their girlfriends. He was with her more out of a need to be with someone, rather than alone. As a first girlfriend, he figured he couldn't have done much better. She'd shown him things and allowed him to do things when they were alone that he hadn't thought he'd ever be able to do.

But, in a strange way, he was still kind of lonely. Hermione and Draco were hardly around anymore, as they preferred to spend time alone together talking and studying. And, when they were with the group, everyone could tell they just wanted to be alone, even though they protested. Whenever Pansy and Ron were together they laughed and teased one another. The newness of their relationship had not yet worn off and they reveled in just being together. They were both so happy it was kind of sickening to watch sometimes.

And, Theo and Pansy had all kinds of shared jokes between them and whispered together all the time about their future as they made plans. At least her disastrous parents 'meet-the-boyfriend' dinner the previous Sunday at one of the cafés in Diagon Alley hadn't pulled them apart.

"That's an understatement," Greg sneered to himself as he thought back on that evening.

_To provide moral support everyone went with them and sat at a nearby table. Parvati had been a nervous wreck and Theo, in his panic at meeting her parents, had been almost as stiff as if he'd been jinxed with a Petrificus Totalus. Then, as Parvati had predicted, her father couldn't have cared less that Theo came from a long history of purebloods. He hadn't even blown up when Theo's last name was finally mentioned, though he did sniff in derision and look away from the young man. No, none of that had been the biggest problem. The large Indian man had looked down his nose at Theo, forbidden his daughter to see him again and stood to leave the table when it was confirmed that he was not of Indian heritage._

Parvati had started to cry and Padma, Pansy, Hermione and Ginny had all gone to her aid, as everyone else started yelling about prejudices and young love. It was then that Greg had seen Blaise sitting at the bar watching the proceedings. He then saw the expression on Blaise's face when Padma started to yell at her father in her sister's defense.

"Daddy, stop! Why are you acting like this?! Can't you see what you're doing to Vati? She loves him. And, Theo loves her. They're perfect for each other! But, you're too blind to see it. You raised us to be fair, to give people a chance, but what are you doing now? You don't know anything about him and you forbid their relationship?! Why? Because he's a Nott? Because he's not Indian? That's not his fault. He didn't ask to be born to his family! Is that all that matters to you? What about your daughter's happiness?!"

As the conversation continued, Greg kept his eyes trained on Blaise's face. He saw the moment the conversation turned personal for his friend; when Blaise's Adam's apple bobbed with his nervous swallowing. When Parvati's father had spit that he'd "…rather his daughters end up with muggleborns or squibs than someone like that who would sully their bloodlines!" Greg had watched Blaise's face mottle in anger. But, just as he stood and looked as if he was going to join the fray, another look, one of dawning comprehension, replaced the fury and he sank back down on the barstool; his eyes going to Hermione.

Draco at that point had had enough. First the man had insulted his best friend, but then he'd also embarrassed his own wife and made both of his daughters cry. The final straw for Draco was the look of horrified hurt and disbelief on Hermione's face as her bloodlines were spat with such detestation.

"Stop, for Merlin's sake! What the hell is wrong with you?! I learned prejudice and pride at the hands of a master. And, I thought my family took the prize for racism and stupidity, but you have us beat hands down. In all my years of my father teaching me all of that misplaced hatred, at least he never set out to embarrass his family in public. And, he NEVER hurt me, as you've just done your daughter! You make me sick! Congratulations, Mr. Patil! You've just sunk lower than Lucius Malfoy." In the stunned silence that followed, Draco turned to Mrs. Patil and apologized for his rudeness; sent a sad glance at Padma, Parvati and Theo; then slid his arm around a shaken Hermione to lead her out of the place.

The silence continued as the occupants of the restaurant thought on the departing man's words and waited to see the reaction of the angry Mr. Patil. Greg heard a low rumbled apology from the man to Theo and his daughters and everyone sat back down to try to have a civilized conversation. But, Greg, who hadn't been able to stop watching Blaise's reactions, saw him throw money on the bar and start to skulk out.

Greg caught up with him just outside the door, "Hey, Blaise, wait!"

Blaise hunched his shoulders and looked back at him, "What?"

Although he wanted to ask several other things, the look on his friends face made only one come out. "Are you okay?"

Blaise grunted and shoved his hands in his pockets. Then he looked back at the restaurant, "Kind of intense, huh?"

"Yeah." He knew Blaise wasn't ready to talk about what he'd seen and heard, but Greg didn't want him to go off and sulk alone, either. "Want some company?"

They'd walked around the village not saying too much to each other. Then they'd gone back up to the school and gone their separate ways. But, the next morning in class, Blaise hadn't picked on Hermione once. He'd also surprised everyone in the class when he'd leaned over to retrieve her quill when she'd dropped it. No one said anything to him, but they all felt hopeful that this was the start of change for him.  
  
"At least something good came of it," Greg muttered to himself as he glanced up the stairs to see if Millicent was coming back down yet.

When he saw her coming down in a dark brown, tight dress that made her curvy body seem more like a large sausage than a body, he'd had enough.

"Okay, look. I'm gonna be honest, Mil. Now, don't get mad at me, but do you have anything that's not like all of these?"

"What do you mean by that?!" she snapped, her hands going to her hips. "I thought you liked them!"

"What I mean is they are all alike, just different colors. Don't you have anything…"

Pansy saved him by coming into the common room just then.

"Hey guys. What on earth are you wearing Millie?"

"You know what? Maybe I just won't go to this stupid dance!" Millicent said as she turned to go back up the steps.

Greg started to follow, "No, Mil. I didn't mean it. You look fine! All your dresses are fine. Just wear any of them. You'll look nice."

Pansy sighed and put her hand on his arm, "Sorry. I guess I didn't help just then, did I?"

"Not really," Greg sighed. "Now what do I do?"

Pansy patted his arm and asked, "How about I give it a try?"

"Sure. Good luck!" he said as he sat back down on the couch and crossed his arms in annoyance. "I don't even know if she wants to go to the ball together anymore."

A half hour later, Pansy and Millicent had returned. Pansy was beaming and Millicent wore a lovely, light green, floor length dress that looked nice against her skin and fit well.

"Merlin, Mil, you look fantastic!" he exclaimed coming to his feet.

Pansy nodded, "She'll be one of the prettiest girls there tomorrow night."

Millicent blushed and grinned a little, but ruined the moment by saying, "Well, I'm not putting all that goop on my face though! And, I'll hex you to London and back if you come at me with those hair curling charms, Parkinson!"

xxxxxx

"But, you can't get dress robes in Muggle London," Draco said in exasperation.

Hermione nodded her agreement as she added another sentence on her potions essay, "I know that, Draco. I got a gown, not robes. Now, shush."

Draco, who had stopped trying to write his essay a few minutes prior, sat back and huffed as he looked around the relatively empty library. They'd been going around and around and he was no closer to finding out what Hermione would be wearing to the ball. He taken guess after guess at the color and style and then started trying to figure it out by where she would have bought it. Her comment that she didn't get it in Diagon Alley had thrown him.

"Just tell me what color it is so we don't clash," he asked again.

Hermione looked up from her paper briefly to roll her eyes at him, "God, you can be such a priss, sometimes. Relax. We won't clash."

"I think I proved last night that I am most definitely not feminine in any way," he harrumphed. When she blushed and giggled he leaned back and asked, "So, where in Muggle London did you get it?"

Hermione heaved a sigh and tossed her quill on the table, "If I tell you will you stop talking so I can get this done?"

He nodded, but said, "You know we still have Sunday to finish it."

"As if I have ever waited until the last minute to do an assignment," she laughed.

"So, where?" he persisted.

"Fine. I had it made for me at a place my mother uses, called _After Dark_. Happy now?"

Draco stared at her for a moment before he prompted, "And?"

"And, what?"

"And, what does it look like?"

Hermione laughed in his face, "Like a gown you don't get to see until tomorrow. Now, be quiet and let me finish this. You could get back to work on yours, too, you know."

"I know, but I don't feel like it." She didn't even glance up, so he leaned in and whined, "Come on, Hermione. It's Friday night. Let's go do something."

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath before she spoke patiently. "Okay, look. I need to get this done, or you know I won't be able to have any fun tomorrow night. Why don't you go find someone else to bug for an hour. I'm almost done and then I'm all yours."

Draco answered with a smirk, "I only want to bug you, though."

Hermione smiled, "And, you can. In an hour. Now, if you aren't going to study, go away and let me finish. The faster you do, the faster I finish and can focus all my attentions on you."

"One hour?" he confirmed.

"Yes. Promise."

He leaned across the table so their faces were inches apart, "I'll hold you to that. One hour. Done or not, you're mine."

Smiling into his blue-grey eyes she giggled, "You make that sound almost like a threat."

He moved forward to kiss her slowly. When she sighed into the kiss, he deepened it until her tongue was seeking his and her hands were reaching for him.

Just when she moved her hands into his hair, he pulled back and winked, "No, love, that's a promise!"

Hermione stared at his fluid movements as he quickly packed his things and stood to leave. Then she watched him bend over her, his eyes darkening as he stared at her lips for a moment before placing the softest kiss on them. It was so sweet, that it took her a moment to realize he'd moved away. When she opened her eyes, he was almost to the library doors. When he reached them he turned and looked at her one more time, desire plain on his face, and she felt a tingle of awareness run through her body.

As the door swung shut behind him she shook herself and glanced at the clock. She was already down to fifty nine minutes. She blew out a breath and looked down at her parchment, "Focus on your assignment, Hermione, and not his kisses! Only about seven inches to go."

xxxxxx

"It's not that big," Ginny smirked. But, then to soothe his probable indignation she added, "But, it is quite perfect for me."

Harry smiled and leaned across the bed to capture her lips. They'd started the evening in the Head's common room studying. But, the entrance of a pensive Blaise had eventually run them up to Ginny's room.

Blaise had barely spoken when he'd entered and hadn't even attempted to taunt them as he sat in a chair near the fire and stared into it. It was so unlike him that they'd both felt the need to try and speak to him. But, his single syllable answers and grunts told them how closed off to conversation he was. Eventually, they'd given up and headed upstairs.

Once they reached her room, talk about Blaise turned to talk about the rest of their friends. That had led to a discussion of Draco and Hermione and their relationship. And, that led to Ginny sharing too much information about their sex life, as far as Harry was concerned. In response, Harry, uncomfortable with talk of Hermione's sexual relations with anyone, especially Draco Malfoy, turned the conversation to their own relationship.

They'd made love for the first time during the summer after their reconciliation in a field near The Burrow. And, while it had taken them some time to find ways to pleasure each other fully, they'd finally reached a place where they were both quite satisfied. Unfortunately, being at school had made it easier to be together, but even more difficult to find time and the opportunity to be alone together. When they'd first arrived at school the Head's rooms had been charmed much like the other dorms to not allow boys into the girl's rooms. But, a few weeks into the first month, Blaise, in a fit of rage, had unknowingly made things easier.

One night after a long day, Blaise had stumbled into their common room to find the two of them snogging on the couch and flipped out at them. In his anger he'd yelled about how it was his common room, too, and he shouldn't have to see that kind of thing. Ginny had shouted back that it wasn't like they had anywhere else to go because unlike him, she couldn't take Harry upstairs for privacy. His response had been to stomp up the stairs and magically switch their rooms, all the while shouting that that way he wouldn't ever have to see their faces again. When he was done, he'd walked into his new room and slammed the door, leaving Harry and Ginny to stare after him in shock. Then the shock had worn off and they'd approached the steps to see if it had worked.

It had.

"Gin, I'm not really in the mood to study anymore," Harry said against her lips as his hand slid up her leg to rest on her thigh.

Ginny smiled as she leaned back and slid down onto the pillows. "What, may I ask, are you in the mood to do instead?"

"Oh, I don't know," he laughed. Then his eyes darkened as he raised his hand to toy with the buttons on her shirt, "Let's see if I can think of something."

Ginny giggled and stilled his hand, "Wait, I've been practicing a new charm. Wanna see?"

Harry honestly didn't care about any new charms when he was so close to his goal, but he figured humoring her might help him get there faster. "Sure, love. What is it?"

Ginny slid from the bed, her gaze sultry, as she said, "Susan showed me and I've been practicing for the past few weeks until I got it just right."

Harry shifted on the bed as she retrieved her wand and lowered the lights. Then she turned to him, "Ready?"

Harry nodded and sat forward now in anticipation of what she might have to show him.

Ginny kept her eyes locked on his as she reached up and removed the pins from her hair, letting the thick red locks fall around her shoulders. Then she smiled and turned her back to him, looking back over her shoulder as she waved her wand at herself and whispered, "Divesto."

Harry almost fell off the bed as her clothes disappeared, leaving him looking at the smooth, creamy skin of her long, lean back, rounded buttocks, and well shaped legs. He knew his mouth was hanging open, but he couldn't seem to close it as she smiled knowingly at him and turned slowly to face him.

"You like?" she asked quietly.

He nodded dumbly and pushed off of the bed to stand in front of her. The low light seemed to make her milky skin almost glow, and the fire set her hair off like sparks were flying from it. She almost looked too beautiful to touch. As much as he was a normal hormonal man, he was also a man very deeply in love.

"God, Gin. You're beautiful," he finally whispered as he raised his hands to rest them on the gentle flare of her hips.

She blushed prettily, "Thank you, love."

Then he smiled wickedly at her, "Man, I love magic. You will have to teach me that one sometime. But, for now…"

Ginny sighed as he leaned in to kiss her and his hands slowly slid up her body and came to rest on her breasts. Their tongues dueled slowly as he toyed with her nipple with one hand and slid the other around her back to pull her closer. When the buttons of his shirt rubbed her sensitive skin, she pulled back and looked up at him.

"Let's see if it works on someone else."

Harry smiled, stepped back a step and spread his arms trustingly, "Go for it."

Ginny raised her wand, waved it at him and cast the charm once again. They both laughed, "Close," when they looked down to see him still wearing one sock.

xxxxxx

"So close," Hermione breathed. "So oh oh oh."

Draco smirked from his place between her thighs, but kept the pressure of his tongue pressed tightly against her and his fingers moving in and out of her tight passage. She still wore her uniform, minus the knickers he'd removed minutes earlier and the sight of her writhing against the couch in her common room, with only the fire to light the room, was almost enough to send him over the edge then and there.

He had to press his body against the cushions to keep from exploding in his pants when her orgasm washed over her and she panted his name and her love for him repeatedly. When he had his body under some measure of control he slowly kissed his way back up to her lips and thrust his tongue into dance with hers.

Hermione's hands came up to rake through his hair and hold him closer. She felt the swell of his desire against her heat and groaned in need. She wanted him without question. She knew in her heart that he would be her first. But, she simply wasn't ready to take that last step yet. Thankfully, she also knew how to give him relief, so when he began to thrust against her rhythmically she reached down to undo his pants and push them down his legs. Without breaking the kiss he shimmied out of his pants and underwear and moved to lie beside her.

Immediately, she had two thoughts. The first was that she hoped Parvati didn't break out of her normal habits and come back to their room early. That thought scattered quickly though as the second took its place. Feeling him fit so perfectly against her as he let her set their pace, she loved him with everything she had and pondered just going for it. But, something still told her to wait, so she held back and reached down to take him in hand.

Draco shook against her as the force of his desire swept through him. He felt her soft body against his from head to toe and her heat so near his shaft called to him. But, he knew she wasn't ready yet and her simple trust in him to not take that final step, kept him from leaning up to cover her body with his own. Instead, he reveled in the feelings that coursed through him and thought about the day he would be able to make her his. All too soon the feel of her hand moving over him, her lips ghosting over his face, neck and lips, and her body shifting closer took him over. And, he came with a groan of her name.

As he breathed heavily against her sweaty neck she ran her hands up and down his back. Then a giggle escaped her lips.

"What's so fu…funny?" he asked in between breaths.

"We didn't even get undressed," she giggled.

Draco lifted his head and laughed a little with her. It was then he finally noticed one of the buttons on her school shirt digging into his stomach and that his own was twisted uncomfortably around his waist.

"Sorry, love. But, I was kind of distracted."

Hermione laughed as he pulled back a bit, "Yeah, I was, too."

She charmed them both clean and got off the couch to reach for her underwear. Draco had pulled his underwear up, but sat on the floor watching her bend over to get hers.

"I think you should go to all classes exactly like that every day," he smirked at her. "Certainly spice up some of them."

"Yeah, right!" she laughed as she pulled her knickers back up. "And, one day a staircase moves, I slip and fall and get detention for life for flashing everyone."

"Well, I'd enjoy the view," he winked. "And, I am sure several others would, as well."

Hermione grinned saucily, "Yeah, well, if you really want me to flash my friends, or say Blaise my private parts…"

The grin that had been gracing his features disappeared in a blink and he sat up, "Uh, no. Bad idea."

Her laugh floated back to him as she left the room and went into the bathroom.

xxxxxx

"Seriously?!" Ron groaned as he glanced up the stairs where they'd heard a door slam followed by girlish laughter. "How many of them can use one bathroom?!"

Draco laughed with his eyes closed as he put his feet up on the coffee table in the Head's common room, "They won't be much longer, Weasley."

"They're taking forever," he pouted. "How long does it take to get ready for one stupid dance?"

The grimace that had formed on Harry's face when Draco had spoken shifted to a smile at Ron's exasperated whining. "Think back to fourth year, Ron," Harry said. Then he laughed out loud when the redhead groaned and put his head in his hands.

"Vati said they would be ready at seven thirty. They still have ten minutes," Theo said as he tried to suppress his grin at Ron's antics and focused on adjusting the lace cuffs at his wrists.

The guys sat scattered around the common room of the Head's dorm and waited for their dates for the Halloween Ball, with drinks in hand. Each was more thankful than the last that they hadn't had to get trussed up in costumes for the event, but none of them were overly happy about the semi-formalwear either. Normally, they wouldn't have chosen to gather together, but their girlfriends insisted upon getting ready together, so they had little say in the matter. At that point most of them got along well enough that it wasn't too much of a hardship, but for three of them it grated enough to keep them from talking overly much.

Harry and Ron shared one couch, while Theo and Greg sat on the other. Draco was sprawled across a chair close to the fireplace and Blaise, who was meeting his date at the ball, sat across the room in one of the desk chairs. Blaise had intended to get out of the room before everyone else arrived, but since he hadn't finished his speech for the opening of the dance, he was stuck in the room with the others. It hadn't been so bad when Draco, Greg and Theo arrived first. He'd simply ignored them while they talked in hushed tones about their upcoming evening, but the arrival of Harry and Ron had set his teeth on edge.

He didn't feel the same burning hatred for them that he'd felt at the beginning of the year and was mostly just unsure about what he did feel for them. Ginny's actions after his breakdown, plus the fact that they'd spent so much time together on Head's duties, had gotten him more used to her and her idiosyncrasies. They weren't friends, but they worked well together, had gained a modicum of respect for each other, and were no longer hostile. Blaise had also gotten to a point where he could mostly get along with Harry, since Ginny and he were practically attached at the hip and he and Harry had to sit together at meals. There were even times when they all shared the common room while studying and their desire for good grades overrode their desire to fight. Blaise didn't even dislike Ron much anymore. He actually thought he was kind of funny in a loud, crude way; he also treated Pansy like gold, which scored him points in Blaise's mind. Unfortunately, spending time with them most often meant spending time with HER. And, though he'd recently thought a lot about his life and his beliefs, he wasn't yet ready to accept her into his sphere completely. She represented far too many things, both good and bad; he didn't know what to do about the things she made him think and feel. With a beleaguered sigh he refocused on his speech.

Across the room Draco lounged comfortably in his chair talking about their upcoming night easily with everyone but Harry. He couldn't get past the man's animosity and without Hermione around to prompt him, he felt no need to even try. Over the past few weeks he'd tried to see what everyone else saw in the hotheaded Savior-of-the-damn-Universe, but he just couldn't. Even knowing they had yet another link to one another through the Lupin family, hadn't dulled their mutual acrimony.

As Draco laughed at Ron's bemoaning of their wait, he remembered a time only a short while ago when he'd hated Ronald Weasley with a passion. But, somehow, through the stupendously strange twist of being with each other's exes, they'd come to an understanding and forged a tentative acquaintanceship. They appreciated that they hadn't stood in each other's way. Knowing how happy Pansy and Hermione were, and how pleased they themselves were with how things had turned out, neither could hold onto their past feelings. The two of them getting along also made their girlfriends happy and that gave each of them more of a chance to be happy.

Harry's obvious dislike of him didn't bother Draco, as he felt the same. They were polite for the most part, but neither saw a day when they'd be more than two people who shared a lot of the same friends and family. They simply had too volatile a history.

Harry laughed with the others and simply tuned Draco out as if he wasn't in the room. He'd made a promise to Ginny and Hermione and he intended to keep it. He promised to not start arguments with Malfoy or try to provoke him, as long as his actions were reciprocated. Harry always kept his word. That didn't mean he had to actually speak to him though. A part of him did recognize that he was being stubborn and inflexible, but he pushed that feeling back because it wasn't like Draco was being any better.

As they all leaned back to wait for the girls, Harry thought back to their train ride to Hogwarts and shook his head. He had really meant what he'd said to Draco. He'd wanted a year of peace and quiet. But, Harry laughed to himself at how naïve he'd been at the time. Back then in his mind they would be peaceful and civil by avoiding being near one another and ignoring each other when they were. Harry hadn't taken into account how many classes they would share or how small the school could seem. It never dawned on him that the Lupin family would force another connection between them. He'd never even contemplated the bizarre idea of Draco and Hermione falling for one another.

Just as he had that thought he heard Draco laugh at something Theo said, and Harry steeled himself to not grimace again. As often as he and Ginny, or he and Ron or Hermione for that matter, discussed it, Harry would never have an answer to their main question. How was it that all of the other people Draco had physically or mentally hurt could forgive him, but Harry couldn't? He'd tried to explain to them over and over again that he simply couldn't forgive someone who'd upset and hurt his family so badly, but none of them got it. Parvati got the closest to making them understand when she'd interrupted yet another discussion about it in their common room a few nights before the ball.

_It's like a sibling thing, but stronger. It's like that thing where you can insult your sister, but no one else can, you know? Well, think about it. You guys are all the family Harry has. You're his sisters and brothers. Draco hurt all of you and he can't forgive that. Honestly, I don't think you should even make him try anymore. As long as no one's fighting, why don't you all leave it alone?_

Harry smiled to himself when he remembered everyone agreeing to let it rest. But, then he frowned again as he remembered that it was also that conversation that had gotten all the girls agreeing to get ready for the ball together. So, like everything else in his life, even when he won, he lost.

"…don't even really like her like that, you know?" Greg's voice broke into Harry's musings.

"But, you had relations with her!" Theo said indignantly.

"All over the damn school," Draco grimaced.

"Relations?" Ron snickered at the same time.

Greg flushed, but shrugged his shoulders, "Well, she wanted to."

Ron's eyebrow rose as he smirked at Greg, "And, you didn't?"

Greg defended himself, "Course I did! I'm a bloke."

"So, what's the problem?" Harry asked as he tried to understand what he'd missed.

"Never mind!" Greg huffed as he sat back and crossed his arms.

Before any of them could answer the door upstairs opened and they all surged to their feet. One by one each girl came out to stand at the railing giving the guys their first glimpse. Even Blaise glanced up and felt his jaw fall open. They looked hot!

For Hermione's birthday ball they'd each worn formal gowns and looked beautiful. But, since the Halloween ball was only semi-formal, they'd all decided to go a bit more towards sexy.

Pansy's hair was loose, with more body and wave than any of them had ever seen on her. She wore a sparkly, black mini dress with long sheer sleeves. The dress dipped low in the front and back, hugged her curves, and left little to the imagination, even though it technically covered her completely.

Ron had to swallow twice before he could croak out, "Bloody amazing!"

Parvati chose a similar dress in white that set off her darker skin and had pulled her hair up into an elegant up-do. Theo was rendered completely speechless. Greg, who had seen his girlfriend's floor length, light green, dress and expected it, hadn't been prepared for what a difference the correct makeup and simple barrettes in her hair could do to change her from cute-ish to actually pretty. He stood next to Ron with his mouth hanging open.

Ginny, resplendent in her strapless, form-fitting, black, floor length dress, with its hot pink beading across the bodice and slit up the side to almost her hip, was the only one to get a full sentence. Harry's eyes were wide in his face when he stammered, "You all look amazing. Hermione, you're..wow. But, by God, Gin, you look like a dream!"

Draco couldn't breathe. In his wildest dreams he'd never imagined Hermione Granger, self-proclaimed bookworm extraordinaire, could look so alluring. His eyes travelled from the silver strappy, high-heeled sandals up what seemed like a mile of leg until they fell on the shimmering silver sheath that barely covered her. The dress fit her like a second skin, had only one strap to hold it up and dipped low over her chest on the other side. He blinked, but the vision stayed in front of him as he took in her now shiny, straight hair that was pulled into a long ponytail and sat on her bare shoulder. When he finally reached her face he saw her looking back expectantly with eyes that seemed deeper and more smoky than usual.

He watched as she turned with the others and started down the steps. Draco felt rooted to the spot. The closer she came to him, the harder it was to breathe. When she stopped directly in front of him, he finally remembered to breathe and gasped as he balled his suddenly sweaty hands into fists.

"Merlin!" he finally exclaimed when she stopped in front of him.

"No, I'm Hermione," she grinned up at him impishly. And, even though she wore a knowing look on her face, she turned in a slow circle, and asked, "Well? What do you think?"

He heard the buzz of the other voices in the room, but he felt like the world had shrunk to only include the two of them. He drank in the sight of her and whispered, "Perfection."

Her smile was even more dazzling as she reached out to smooth the edges of his robes, "Thank you. You look quite nice, too."

He leaned down and kissed the dimple in her left cheek that winked at him before inhaling, "Hmmm, roses and vanilla."

Hermione laughed as she heard the now familiar sound of him sniffing her neck and put her hands on her hips, "You know you're weird, right? You have an obsession with the way I smell."

Draco barked a laugh at the way she phrased that statement and it helped ease his tension. With a gleam in his eye he moved closer and put his hands on top of hers.

He leaned down and said so only she could hear, "I am obsessed. You smell like you taste; delicious."

He laughed again as he watched embarrassment and shock, mixed with humor and a bit of lust, quickly travel across her expressive face, even as she slapped his arm, "Draco!"

"Seriously, love, you look, even though I hate to repeat Weasley, bloody amazing!" His hands slowly slid up her sides, whispered past her breasts, crested her shoulders and then continued down her back until they came to rest just at the swell of her butt. He pulled her closer and leaned down to kiss her properly.

Her sharp, "Uh uh!" stopped him and he looked at her in question.

"You aren't messing me up before we even get there," she grinned.

"So, I can mess you up after we get there?" he smirked.

"Smartass," she laughed.

"So, are we all ready to go?" Ginny asked the room at large. "Zabini and I have to do our speeches and then open the dancing."

"Stupid speeches," he grumbled from his place at the door. Blaise wasn't unhappy or upset, but something about seeing all the happy couples around him, made him feel edgy. He just wanted to get the night over with as quickly as possible.

Pansy moved away from Ron to stand next to Blaise and reach up to straighten his bow tie, "Come on, Blaise. Cheer up. It's only one little speech and then you're free."

Theo he joined them at the door, slapped him on the back, and laughingly added, "And, quit scowling or you'll end up scaring Su Li to death. You're supposed to have killer looks, not a killer stare."

Blaise laughed a little at the bad joke, "Pathetic."

"At least you're smiling," Pansy laughed.

Draco, his arm around Hermione's waist, smirked, "You're both ridiculous."

"Says the poof who took over an hour to get ready," Ron laughed.

Draco didn't take offense and shot back, "Well, I had to look the best as I have the best looking date." Then, as an afterthought, he glanced around at the other girls, "No offense, of course. You all look great, too."

"None taken," Parvati laughed at his mild embarrassment.

Ginny teased good-naturedly, "At least not much."

"Well, I am highly offended!" Pansy joked as she moved back to Ron's side. "But, I can let it pass this one time."

"Why thank you," he bowed slightly as he smirked and winked at her.

Harry rolled his eyes and held his arm out to Ginny, "Can we just go?" He then realized how harsh he'd unintentionally sounded and added jokingly, "I, for one, am just dying to hear this speech Zabini worked so hard on. I'm sure it will be absolutely riveting."

"Shut it, Potter," Blaise growled, but his lips quirked into a smile. "You're just jealous that I get to dance with your witch before you do."

Bickering playfully they began to file out of the room. Draco held out his arm to Hermione and glanced down, "Come on, love, time for you to put all the other girls to shame."

She smiled up at him, but didn't take the offered arm. Instead she stood very still staring up at him as if searching for something.

He began to get a bit nervous and rambled, "What is it? Are you okay? Was it what I said before? I didn't mean to insult the rest of them, it's just you're beautiful. Sexy as hell and utterly perfect."

When she blushed and reached out to put her hand on the side of his face he smiled softly, "What is it, love?"

He saw in her eyes the moment she made her decision. He just didn't know what the question had been and when her hand moved down to rest over his heart he held his breath. He didn't know what she was about to say, but he felt it would be pretty big.

"Draco, I think…"

"Are you two coming?" Ginny laughed as she stuck her head back inside the portrait. "We're all waiting for…oh! Sorry."

Hermione giggled nervously as stepped back and said, "No. No, we're coming now."

Draco let out the breath he'd been holding as she moved toward the door and stared at her incredulously. How could she stop there? Wasn't she going to say something important? What was it? He started forward to stop her from leaving, but stopped when she turned her head and pinned him with a sultry stare.

His racing mind slammed to a halt along with his breath when she said softly, "Later tonight, when the dance is over, if you've been a really good boy, you get to mess me up. Completely."

Draco couldn't have repeated what was said during the group's walk to the Great Hall. He couldn't under threat of torture have recalled the speeches or opening dance. All he could hear in his head were her whispered words of promise over and over again.

_Does she really mean…_

A while later he felt her breasts graze his chest and with a start found himself staring down into her upturned face as they moved fluidly around the room. Her laugh tinkled up at him as she tightened her grip on his shoulder and the hand she held.

"I wondered how long it was going to take for you to come back to me," she smiled softly, her eyes full of mirth and love. "You haven't said anything more than 'mmm' for almost half an hour."

Draco glanced around at the dancing couples and then back down at Hermione his mind still on only one thing, "Did you… I mean, before when you said…"

Hermione silenced him with a finger on his lips, "Yes."

His eyes widened and he kissed her fingertip before he asked, "Are you sure?"

She nodded and slid her hands to rest on his shoulders, pulling him closer, "I'm sure, Draco. I've thought about it quite a bit. I'm nineteen years old and a war veteran with a lot of firsts under my belt. But, most of them I would rather forget. With you, at least this year, all my firsts have been good, great even."

He grinned at her immediate blush, but she continued, "You know me. You like me. You even love me and I love you, Draco. I'm ready for my next first with you."

"I…okay…thank you," he stuttered. Then he took a breath and steadied himself, "We don't have to yet though. I don't want you to feel…"

"Do you not want to?" she asked playfully, but he could see the worry lurking in her eyes.

"You're joking right?!" he laughed. He glanced around at those around them to make sure there were no professors nearby before he slid his hands down to rest on her butt. As he pulled her hips to meet his, he growled, "Witch, there is nothing I want more than to finally have all of you. I want to _feel_ you come apart around me."

He saw the worry flit away to be replaced by desire and smirked at her, "What's the earliest you think we can leave and not look suspicious?"

She laughed and shook her head at him, but stepped back a little as Professor Vector ventured closer with her eyebrow raised.

Once the teacher passed them he pulled her back against his body and leaned down to nuzzle near her ear. When he blew a soft breath on it, he felt her shiver against him and groaned, "Can we leave now?"

Hermione giggled as she pulled back and looked up at him with a slightly flushed face, "Not yet, Draco."

He waited until the song ended and reached for her hand to exit the floor, "Now?"

Her laugh rang out as she led them back to the table for refreshments.

They heard Blaise's incredulous voice as they approached the group's table, "Have you lost what's left of your mind?"

xxxxxx

Blaise was having a bad night. First, he'd flubbed his speech three separate times and heard people laugh at him in the darkened room. Then he'd stepped on Ginny's dress during the opening dance and almost ripped it. Next, Greg and Millie had had a fight almost the minute they'd gotten there and, it seemed, broken up with each other. Blaise's issue was that they each expected him to take their side. When he'd looked for backup, Theo and Draco had already left to dance with their dates, and even Ron and Harry were nowhere to be found. His date, Su Li, had shown up with a large group of friends and proceeded to immediately run off with them. And, insult added to injury, he was stuck at the table with Luna Lovegood and her insanity.

"Oh no," she replied very seriously.

He wondered why he didn't just get up and leave as he asked, "So, it is your assertion that all of my problems would be magically cleared up if I just ate more roughage?!"

"Or, had really, really good sex," Luna smiled serenely as she nodded vigorously. "The release of sperm can provide a release all kinds of stress."

"Are you…what are…why am I talking to you?!" Then when Draco and Hermione reached them he turned to them, "Why am I talking to her?!"

Draco laughed, "Because you want to?"

"As if!" Blaise huffed.

Hermione put her hand on Luna's shoulder in a show of support and asked, "So, where'd Su go?"

"She's over there dancing with her friends," Luna pointed. "Our House agreed it would be poor form for the Head Boy to attend the dance alone, so we decided one of us would go with him when no one else would. Su solved the puzzle last so she had to be his date."

"Oh, that's just perfect!" Blaise exclaimed and put his head on the table. "Could this night get any worse?"

"Of course, it could," Luna nodded seriously.

Draco suppressed a laugh as he patted his friend's shoulder, "Buck up, buddy. It's a dance, not a torture session. We're supposed to be having fun and you are supposed to be leading us in it."

When Blaise lifted his head and glared at Draco, he continued, "Why don't you ask someone else to dance? There're plenty of girls who came alone."

"I just want this night to be over," Blaise sighed and crossed his arms over his chest as he sat back in a huff.

"Well, there are still a couple more hours to it, so you will have to find a way to endure," Luna said as she stood and shook out her hair a bit. "Come dance with me. The Head boy can't be seen looking so glum and antisocial all night. All of this unity stuff is still quite tenuous and you have most certainly not been helping. It's time you did your job."

The immediate denial that came to his lips stalled as he thought about what she'd said. As odd as it was to say, even in his head, Luna Lovegood was right. He'd already accepted that some of his beliefs were not the best, and he had realized he needed to make a change. At least she was a pureblood, even if she had stood on the other side of things in the war, so he wouldn't be turning his back on everything he knew in one move.

Wondering what he was thinking for what felt like the millionth time in the past few minutes, Blaise grasped her extended hand and stood to his full height in front of her. Her hand felt very small and delicate in his, but he felt the strength of her magic pulsing as her fingers wrapped around his. He looked to Draco for support, but saw his friend's carefully blank face staring back at him, though he detected a hint of pride in his eyes. Blaise refused to look down at Hermione because he didn't want to know her thoughts on things and knew she wouldn't be able to hide her feelings as completely as Draco.

"Why aren't you all dancing?" Ginny's laughing voice interrupted the stillness of the moment as she and Harry came to the table to get a drink.

Hermione smiled brightly to cover the small silence that followed, "We were, but we got thirsty."

Harry nodded at her, "Same here. Hi, Luna. You look quite lovely this evening. Who did you come to the dance wi…"

His voice trailed off as he finally noticed her hand in Blaise's and his eyes shot to the man's face.

Blaise straightened his back and looked down his nose at Harry, "Well, enjoy your drinks. Luna, shall we?"

"Of course," Luna smiled up at him. "But, for no more than two dances."

Ginny couldn't help herself, "Why only two, Luna?"

"More than that and you risk the Wrackspurts catching up with you. They are slow enough, but very hard to see and dancing can often make one forget to look for them."

No one said a word as she turned and led Blaise onto the dance floor. But, as soon as they'd disappeared into the crowd Hermione let out the laugh she'd been holding and Ginny and Harry joined her.

"What am I missing?" Draco asked the laughing threesome. He hated when Hermione shared a laugh with Harry and not him.

"According to Luna, Wrackspurts are things that float into your ears and make you go all fuzzy," she said with a giggle.

Ginny laughed, "Sometimes we wonder if she's got a permanent one lodged in there."

"Be nice," Harry admonished around his own laughter. "She's our friend."

"You're laughing, too," Draco said with a smirk.

"What's so funny?" Greg asked as he joined them at the table.

Hermione noticed he looked tired and upset, so she sobered and moved to where he sat heavily in a chair, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he smiled up at her. "Broke up with Mil, is all."

"What? Why?" Draco asked in shock. "When?"

Greg shrugged, "A little while ago. It just wasn't working. No big deal."

Hermione pulled a chair close and sat next to him, "I'm sorry, Greg."

"Don't be," he smiled at her. "I'm seriously okay with it. And, she," he said pointing across the room to where Millicent stood talking to a shorter guy, "is fine with it, too, I guess. She said it was about time. She already had her eyes on that 6th year Ravenclaw anyway."

"Sorry, mate," Draco said sincerely.

Greg didn't want pity; he just wanted to get through the night with as much dignity as possible. "Let it go, Draco. But, thanks. Ginny? How about a dance?"

Ginny, understanding his need for an out, smiled and took his hand, "Sounds like a plan to me. We'll be back."

Hermione relieved the tension and made everyone laugh when she called out, "No more than two dances though!"

xxxxxx


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**  
Chapter 25  
**

"That's two," he breathed in her ear as his hands tightened on her waist to pull her even closer.

Pansy smirked up at Ron, her dimples flashing at him, "Well, if you didn't hold me so closely I wouldn't be brushing against you."

His red eyebrow lifted, "You did that last one on purpose, witch! How am I supposed to get back to the table like this?"

Pansy allowed her eyes to flicker down to his tented trousers and smiled wickedly, "Gee! Did I do that?"

Ron pulled back from her a little and breathed deeply. "How long is this damn dance?"

"Not having fun?" she laughed up at him and her smile turned devilish when he growled in the back of his throat. "You know? If we're careful, we could slip out to, uh, alleviate your problem, and be back before we're missed."

"Let's go!" he said turning towards the doors and pulling her along.

When they neared the table of their friends, Ron stopped and tugged her in the other direction. Unfortunately, that change brought them face to face with a sneering Professor Snape.

"And, where are you two headed in such a hurry?" he asked. His voice was low, but commanded their full attention, as well as an answer.

Ron, whose entire focus had been on getting out the hall so he could be alone with Pansy, blurted, "Damn it!" before he realized completely who had stopped him. The glacial glare he received made him stammer, "Uh, sorry. Uh, Sir."

"We needed air," Pansy blurted in an attempt to answer the professor's question.

The glittering black eyes flitted back and forth over them and the professor's face formed a sneer as he said, "The courtyard for this blasted event is on the other side of the hall, Mr. Weasley. You looked to be heading to the doors of the main entrance. Are you such a dunderhead that you can't find the correct exit?"

Ron's face reddened in anger, but it was Pansy who stepped forward with her chin lifted haughtily. Her eyes blazed at the Head of her House, but her voice dripped with forced respect, "Sir, I needed to use the ladies' first. Ron was kind enough to offer to escort me. Is there some new rule, Professor, against a gentleman escorting his date around?"

Snape's brow lifted sharply as he fixed his stare on Pansy, but she didn't back down. "Of course not, Miss Parkinson. Please do not let me keep you from your goal. I am sure though that you will hurry back to enjoy the rest of the festivities."

When they both nodded, he forced a smile that was scarier than his sneer, "As a member of the faculty it is my duty to ensure the safety of all students. As such I will wait right here for your safe and _swift_ return."

Both nodded and turned to do the only thing they could; go pretend to use the loo.

xxxxxx

"You can stop pretending, I know you hate this," Parvati smiled at Theo. "I am just thankful you stayed this long."

They'd been at the ball for almost two hours and spent much of the time ensconced at their own table in a dark corner of the room. Parvati enjoyed dances and dancing, while Theo did not. They had ventured out to dance a few times, and spent a bit of time with their friends, but most of the evening had been spent enjoying their alone time together. Parvati had just returned from the ladies' room to find Theo drawing images in the condensation on his glass and looking extremely bored.

"I'm not pretending," Theo smiled at her. "I am enjoying being here with you, love. I just really don't enjoy dancing, as you know."

"I know," she laughed. "My toes thank you for not trying any longer."

"Ha ha ha," he said around a grin. "So, what did Hermione and Pansy have to say?"

"What makes you think they said anything?" she teased.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Vati, you never take that long in the loo. Plus, I saw them go in after you."

"Yes, well," she replied. "We talked about Blaise and stuff, but, initially we needed to calm Pansy down a bit."

"Why was she upset?"

Parvati giggled and took a sip of her drink as her eyes sought out the disgruntled couple at their table. They were both laughing when she finished the story. But, Theo felt pity for them, "I surely wouldn't want Professor Snape watching my every step tonight."

When she nodded in agreement he kissed her knuckles and leaned back in his chair to loosen the tie at his throat, "So, what else?"

A few minutes later she had filled him in on the breakup of Greg and Millicent, Blaise's apparent real turnaround, and Hermione's desire that Theo not return to his room for a long while after the dance.

"What? Why not?" he asked dumbly.

"Theo," she laughed as a blush stained her cheeks. "Surely you can think of a reason they might want to be alone."

"Oh! They're going to…tonight?! Already?!" he blurted.

She shrugged and leaned more against his shoulder.

They lapsed into a silence as both contemplated the status of their own relationship. Finally, Theo pulled away a little and turned to her, his face betraying his nerves.

"You do understand why we can't…"

Parvati nodded, "I do. And, I want to wait anyway."

'It's just," he continued nervously, "I don't want you cursed or something because we got carried away. I do want you. Badly. But, my family's curse is very strong, Vati."

"I know, Theo," she smiled. "We've discussed this before and I am still fine with it. No sex until marriage. You, because of your family's curse on premarital sex, and me because I know I, as well as my parents, would be horribly disappointed in me. When the time comes, it will be right and perfect."

She punctuated her little speech with a quick kiss on his lips and sat back. Her eyes opened wider in surprise when he leaned over her and sealed his lips across hers once again. She sighed into the kiss and trembled as his hand slid up and down her side, each swipe bringing his hand closer and closer to her chest. Her hands lifted to bury themselves in his hair when he changed the angle of their kiss and his chest rested more firmly against her.

When his fingers ghosted over her through her dress, she gasped and felt a tingle low in her abdomen. She pulled back a bit and looked at his intense face.

"I love you, Vati," he whispered, his desire for her expressed in every curve of his face.

"I love you," she answered back, meaning it from the depths of her being.

"Marry me," he said a bit more loudly. "Say you'll marry me."

"Theo!"

"Not now. Not tonight. But, when this year is over, say you'll be mine forever."

"I…yes," she breathed as tears slid unnoticed down her cheeks. "But…but Theo…"

"No!" he interrupted as he gripped her hands tighter. "Nothing will go wrong, Vati. Nothing. I know it's soon, but it's right. I feel it. Don't you?"

"I…yes, but," she whispered in shock.

He refused to hear her worries, "No, love, no buts. I've waited all my life for the right person. For you. I won't let anything stand in our way. Not houses, parents, or friends. You are it for me, Vati. I love you with everything I am. And, I want us to…"

He paused as he seemed to think a horrible thought. She read the look on his face and hurried to stop it before it could fall from his lips.

She laughed a little as she leaned in to kiss him softly, "I love you, too, Theo. And, yes, I do feel it. Heck, I already know our children's names. I wasn't going to say anything to stop this from happening. I was just shocked. Plus, I wanted to stop you before you magically bound us by mistake with your beautiful words."

"Oh," he breathed a relieved sigh as his eyes closed against the pain he had felt at the thought of her refusal. "I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay," she smiled as happy tears continued to glide down her cheeks. Then she sniffed them back and teased, "You know my father's going to want to see a ring though, right?"

He smiled as he leaned his forehead against hers, "And, I'm sure you wouldn't mind one overmuch."

"Well, if I must," she laughed. Then she jumped up and leaned back down to hug him, "I have to tell Pad!"

He smiled as he watched her hurry across the room to her sister and laughed out loud when their squeals were heard above the music in the room.

xxxxxx

"Engaged?!" all five men exclaimed with varying degrees of emotion.

"Yes," Theo snapped. "And, you lot don't have to look so horrified, thank you very much!"

They sat at the table awaiting the return of their dates. Upon hearing the news the girls had immediately dragged Parvati off to get details and they were left to converse amongst themselves.

Harry was the first to speak, "Bloody hell, Nott! Now, Gin's going to be all over me for a ring!"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt for you to show some permanent dedication to her, you know?!" Ron said with a look of indignation on his face.

Harry blanched under his best friend's stare, "It's going to happen eventually, Ron, just relax?"

Ron looked like he was going to say more, but Draco interrupted, "Excuse us, Potter, but this really isn't about you."

Harry glared at Draco, but bit his tongue as he acknowledged that the blonde man was right.

"Sorry, Theo. Congratulations," Harry said sincerely.

"Yeah, congratulations," Ron echoed as he reached across the table to shake Theo's hand.

Greg got up and came around the table to shake Theo's hand, "Wow, mate! I can't believe you worked up the guts to do it so soon!"

"Thanks," Theo laughed with a roll of his eyes.

"What I can't believe is that she said yes," Blaise joked from the other side of the table. "Why on Circe's tit would she want to saddle herself with a tosser like you?"

"Because she's simply brilliant," Theo answered back with a self-satisfied grin.

Blaise laughed and said, "Well, if this is what you want, I congratulate you."

"Thank you," Theo smiled proudly.

They were all quiet as they stared out into the crowded dance floor until Blaise's next comment broke the silence.

"The rest of you do know this is going to get them all thinking about marriage and babies, don't you?"

Ron shrugged with a smile, "Pansy's been on about it since day one."

"And, that doesn't scare you stiff?" Greg asked with a grimace.

"Nah," Ron answered. "If we get there, we get there."

Draco, who had been mostly silent throughout the exchange turned to Ron, "I suppose you want a family as big as yours?"

Ron's eyes searched Draco's for a moment, as if looking for the insult, before he answered, "Honestly, no. I would be happy with one kid someday. But, we'll see."

"But, Pansy wants a houseful," Blaise laughed. "Seems you're stuck, Weasley."

Draco blurted, "Do you think Hermione wants…" before he could stop himself.

Harry spit his drink as he coughed violently at the thought, and Blaise rolled his eyes as several of them were sprayed. While the others leapt out of the way or helped clean up Harry's mess, Ron kept an eye on Draco's face.

What he saw surprised him enough to lean towards Draco and say under his breath, so the others wouldn't hear, "With the right guy, I'm sure she would want the whole package."

Draco's eyes met Ron's for a long moment before they were interrupted by the return of their dates and the chatter about Theo and Parvati's informal engagement.

xxxxxx

"It was just so sweet," Pansy sighed as she collapsed back on the couch in Harry and Ron's common area with a dreamy smile.

Ron toed off his shoes and spelled them to his room upstairs, along with his robes, jacket and necktie. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to respond, or how to do so if he was.

Pansy continued as she pushed her heels off and stretched her toes, "I don't even think he meant to do it. I mean he didn't have a ring or anything. And, as traditional as he knows her father is, I'm sure he would have done it properly if he'd been really thinking. But, Merlin! Vati is so happy."

Ron sat down next to her and reached up to run his hands through her hair, "Is she now?"

"Oh yes," she breathed with her eyes closed, as his hands moved down to massage her shoulders. "Mmmm, that feels nice."

He leaned forward a bit and kissed her shoulder before turning her around so that her feet were on his lap. He wasn't even thinking about his actions as he rubbed her feet and watched the joy on her face.

Except for her little moans of pleasure the only other sound in the room was the crackle of the fire in the fireplace, and Ron was loathe to breach the quiet. But, he needed to know what, if anything, their future held.

"Pans?" he began softly.

"Mmm," she answered without opening her eyes, a small smile still on her face.

"Um, where do you see yourself in, say, five years?" he asked.

Her eyes flew open to search his and then she sat up slowly and pulled her feet from his lap, "I don't know, Ron. Why?"

"Just wondering," he shrugged and looked away, "what with everything that happened tonight."

"Ron, are you…I mean, we aren't ready for…"

"No!" he exclaimed too loudly. Then he took a breath and looked at her, "I mean, not now. Maybe though. Someday. I mean, I want that stuff; marriage and kids, at least one, but not yet."

He watched her closely as she nodded, but didn't comment.

"And, you?" he asked. "What do you want?"

"You know," she blushed a bit and pulled her feet up under her hips as she looked down at her hands. "I want a family; a real one, a happy, loving one."

He smiled at her and waited until she raised her eyes to his, "So, we want the same thing then, just not now."

"No, not now," she smiled.

Neither said the words they were dying to say about how they hoped it would happen for them together. But, when he reached out and took her hand, his smile was soft and hopeful, "I hope we both get what we want someday."

"Me, too," she whispered. Then she cleared her throat and looked at him thoughtfully, "Ron?"

"Yeah?"

Pansy leaned forward so that she was sitting on her heels facing him, his large hand in her smaller one, "I… I like you. A lot."

"I like you, too, Pansy; an awful lot," he said softly.

"No, that's not what I…" she shook her head. Then she took a deep breath and pushed her shoulders back as if fortifying herself. "I have a confession to make."

"Okay," he prompted, feeling his gut twist in apprehension.

She didn't look at him as she spoke, but her fingers continued to grip his tightly, like she was afraid he would pull away. "I know now that I didn't really before. I mean, I did, but not like this. Now, I, uh, well before you…"

"Breathe, Pansy," he said over her nervous rambling. Her words had already calmed him, as he thought he knew what she wanted to say, but he forced himself to let her finish.

"Okay," she said more to herself than him, as she took a deep breath and let it out. Then her eyes rose to his again, "For the past few years, I thought I liked you. I dreamt of you. I…well, I thought about you a lot. And, then this year happened. A while ago I was talking to Hermione and I realized I didn't really know you, not the real you. I mean, I'd read a lot about you. I knew I wanted to get to know you, but I didn't really know you well enough to like you. I liked what I knew of you, and who I thought you were, but not the real you. Does that make any sense?"

Ron nodded and let her continue.

"That first night, after the Lavender thing, when we talked, really talked for the first time, I realized how little I really knew about you. I mean, I knew all you'd done, and I knew you from things I'd seen at school, but that night, it was like I was meeting you for the first time."

He reached out and pushed a hair off her face and back behind her ear, "And, I'm guessing you liked me enough to stick around a bit?"

She giggled, but soldiered on to finish her thoughts, "Yes, you insufferable wizard, I did. I wanted to say to you tonight, that I like you, Ronald Billius Weasley. I know you now, and I…like you…a lot."

He smiled at her happily before leaning in to kiss her softly. Then he pulled her closer and hugged her against his chest as he spoke, "Pansy, you are an amazing surprise. As you know, I can't say I thought about you or us ever before this year. But, now I can't imagine my days without you in them. I really like you a lot, too."

xxxxxx

"I can't imagine how she bounced around on those shoes like that," Hermione laughed as she rubbed her sore feet.

Draco watched her from his desk chair as she sat on his bed and laughed, "Well, I think she was too happy to notice the pain."

Hermione smiled in agreement and then leaned back against the headboard, "I'm happy for them, but don't you think it's too soon? I mean, they've only been together a couple of months. How can they know already?"

Draco could tell she was lost in her own thoughts, but wanted to answer anyway, "No. Not if they feel it's right. How long do you think it should take?"

"I don't know," Hermione shrugged and removed the band from her side ponytail so she could spread her hair with her fingers. She had her eyes closed as she added, "Marriage is an important step. A big step. I guess I just wouldn't have announced it to everyone unless I was really sure it was going to happen."

Draco got up and moved to stretch out next to her, "Don't you think they'll make it?"

Hermione sighed contentedly as his fingers toyed with her thigh, "I don't know. I hope so; they're perfect for each other. But, so much can happen in a year."

He was quiet for a long moment and she opened her eyes to see him staring at her. "What?"

"Just thinking," he answered with a shrug.

"About?"

Draco shrugged and looked down at his hand on her leg.

"Tell me," she urged softly. At first, it seemed he wasn't going to answer, but then she felt his hand still on her leg.

"Do you want all of that? Marriage and children? Someday, I mean," he asked as a slight blush stained his cheeks.

Hermione noticed that he appeared to be holding his breath and realized her answer was important to him. She felt like someone had punched her in the gut when it hit her that he was asking about the future. Her future. Their future?

"Um, well, yeah, I do. Not now," she rambled as her brain seemed to fill with too many thoughts and questions at once. "I have a lot to do yet, before I settle down, I mean. But, yes, I want to get married some day. And, I think two or three children would be nice."

Draco nodded, but didn't look up at her as she hoped. His hand did start moving again, so she took that as a good sign.

"And, uh, you?"

Draco rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling as he answered, "If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said yes without hesitation. It was expected. Now, I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it until tonight. I don't know why not, but I just didn't. There's been so much going on for the past year that I guess I just let it go. I mean for a long while I wasn't sure I would even be alive to see a future, so I think I just stopped thinking about one. Does that make sense?"

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't wait for her answer as he continued, "And, now, I…I guess I just…I don't know if I would make all that great a husband or father, truth be told. I like kids and if Teddy is any indication I'm pretty good with them. But, it's not like my parents were…well, you know. Besides, I'm too young to think about marriage and kids anyway. With the way things have changed, who knows where I'll be in the future and what I'll be doing. Hell, I can barely think past next Tuesday's Herbology exam. But, still…it might be nice, maybe…someday. I'm sure Mother would love the idea of it…"

He trailed off and continued to stare at the ceiling, while Hermione tried to understand all he'd said. She wasn't sure if his words meant he did or didn't see a wife and children in his future. And, she wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want it or just couldn't see himself with them. Again many thoughts came at her at once and she firmly tried to push them back, so she could take his words at face value. But, a part of her wondered if his hesitance had anything to do with the fact that he was discussing it with her; if he didn't really see a future for them. If this was just a passing fancy for him, but he knew they wouldn't stay together.

She resolutely pushed those worries back as she told herself he was just rambling and confused, like he'd said. She told herself it had nothing to do with her, or her muggle background, or his past hatred of everything related to her in the past. That was then, this was now. In the now, he loved her and she loved him. She reminded herself that she wasn't ready for anything permanent yet, either, as she'd just told him.

Pushing past her own worries, she turned to her side and looked at his pensive face. He still ran his hand lightly over her, his fingers tracing random patterns on her hip, his eyes unfocused on a spot over her shoulder.

"Draco?"

"Hmm?"

She put her hand on his chest and scratched it lightly to pull his focus back to her, "I think that's enough talk of the future. We've got enough to deal with in the present, don't you think?"

He finally looked her in the eye and tried to shake off the heaviness their conversation had brought upon them. He wasn't quite sure what he'd been looking for in starting it all, but he'd really wanted to hear her thoughts on the subject. A part of him felt better knowing she wasn't ready for any kind of permanent commitment yet, either. But, he wondered if and/or when they would be ready for that step. He knew things were still too new between the two of them to think about forever, but when he thought about his future he was relatively sure she would be in it.

That last thought brought a happy smile to his face as he reached up to push a stray hair off her face, "Yeah, I guess we do." Then he let his eyes wander a bit before he looked back up at her face, "You look positively amazing tonight, Hermione. And, I learned another new thing tonight."

"Really?" she asked, her face relaxing once again into a smile, "What?"

Draco leaned up to hover over her a little as he pushed her back onto her back, "I learned what jealousy feels like."

"Jealousy? Of whom?" she laughed.

"Of every dance partner you had that wasn't me," he said as he lowered his head to her neck. After rubbing his nose against her he kissed her ear and whispered, "I learned that I'm very possessive and don't like sharing you with others."

He pulled back to look her in the eye as he smirked, "Especially when you look this sexy."

Hermione blushed under his heated look, but laughed, "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious," he nodded. Then he growled, "I had to stop myself from pulling Thomas off of you and beating him to a bloody pulp!"

"Dean? He didn't do anything while we were dancing," she laughed.

"But, I could tell he wanted to. I saw the way he looked at you."

"Well, it's not a crime to look, Draco. It's not like you didn't have an entourage of perfectly willing girls around you every time I left you alone for half a second."

"Oh, is that jealousy I hear from you, my dear?" he jokingly mocked at the disgruntled look on her face. He kissed her quickly and said, "No worries, love, all we talked about was you."

"Even when you were dancing with that Greengrass girl?" she asked with a teasing grin. It was no secret to anyone in the school that the girl wanted Draco to herself, but he'd made it clear that he wasn't interested in the least. "I saw her try to touch you."

Hermione laughed when Draco groaned and dropped his head on her chest. "She's got more hands than is normal. I swear I'm bruised from that pinch she gave me on my arse by the punchbowl."

"Oh my poor, baby," she giggled as she remembered Astoria being splashed with punch by Draco in his surprise. "Want me to kiss it and make it all better?"

He lifted his head to nod as he pouted at her, "Would you?"

"As if!" she laughed. "The day I kiss your arse is…well, um…" she trailed off as a blush reddened her cheeks.

Draco laughed, "Well, um, huh? I didn't know yesterday was Well Um day."

"Ha ha ha," she answered with a roll of her eyes, even as her lips quirked into a suppressed and embarrassed grin.

Draco sobered a bit and then realized his chin was resting on her about two inches from her chest. His eyes travelled over the swell of her breasts to her face and he smiled a predatory smile.

"What are you thinking now?" she asked a bit breathlessly. The look in his eyes had sent a flash of heat from her head to her toes.

Scooting up the bed a bit to hover over her cleavage, he whispered, "You and messes."

"Huh?"

He kissed the swell of her breast and then trailed his tongue over to the other where he repeated his kiss. Then he answered, "Well, I think I was a really good boy tonight, don't you, Hermione? I didn't fight with Potter. I didn't kick Thomas' butt. I didn't even try to spike the punch."

Hermione, entranced by his husky voice, nodded as he slid his hand up her shoulder to push the strap holding the dress up down her arm a bit. His lips followed the path of his hand and she moved her head to the side to give him better access to her neck. She let her eyes close and reached out to touch him, her fingers finding the hair at the nape of his neck.

He smiled when she let out a soft moan and he whispered against her ear, "You look great, but I think it's time to get you a little messed."

Hermione shivered as his lips met hers. He moved up further on the bed and without breaking the kiss reached for his wand on the bedside table to lower the lamps. He mumbled, "Nox" against her lips and then tossed the wand on the floor. He felt his body beginning to warm as her tongue slid sensuously against his and her hands slid down his neck to his chest.

Hermione broke the kiss to sit up and push him down beside her. She then smiled at him in the darkened room and unbuttoned his shirt as she whispered, "I think you, Draco Malfoy, have been a really, really good boy tonight and I am pretty sure I have the perfect reward for you."

He groaned as she leaned forward and spread tiny kisses across his throat and the top of chest. He loved the feeling of her hair sliding across his body and trembled slightly as he felt it on his arms and neck. Just as he was about to flip her over and take charge once again he felt her hand shake where it rested against his stomach.

It dawned on him that she was nervous and her famed Gryffindor bravery was leading her actions. Even though the idea of it had been hers, he didn't want her to feel obligated to go through with it.

He placed a hand on her shaking one and said quietly, "Hermione, are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Yes, Draco," she answered confidently. But her eyes wouldn't meet his as she added, "I'm just… I'm… don't you want to?"

He moved to his knees to mimic her stance and confessed, "I want to. More than anything else I can think of at the moment. But, this is…and you're…I mean, I am too, but for you it's… we can't take this back."

Hermione watched him struggle to keep his eyes on her face and off of her body, and heard the words he spoke. But, she also knew her choice was right and that she was ready.

"I'm sure," she answered softly. Then she took a breath and moved forward until their chests grazed each other's, "I want you, Draco."

"Yes," he answered even as he lowered his head to capture her lips once again.

In the back of his head, Draco knew this was a big moment for both of them. He realized this meant a new level of commitment to their relationship that there was no going back from. And, he acknowledged that he loved her all the more for being so sure of him, of them. He was over-the-moon that she would give him such a precious gift.

But, the normal teenage boy in him was reveling in the fact that he was about to lose his virginity! Finally! He'd talked about it, lied about it, gotten close to it, but he'd never completed the act. Now, he would, at last, get his chance. He only hoped he didn't screw it up and forget all the things he'd bragged about knowing and doing. If they were going to do it, he wanted to make damn sure they did it right! Plus, he didn't want Hermione to regret it.

"Thank you," he whispered against her hair.

She laughed nervously, "Don't thank me yet. I may not be all that good at it."

"Hermione Granger fail a subject? I think not," he teased as he eased her back on the bed. Then he pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it over the side of the bed before settling back next to her again. Her dress still hung off of her arm and as he helped her out of it, he rained kisses, licks and small nips over every bit of skin that was exposed to him.

Hermione relaxed more and more as she felt the now familiar brush of his soft, firm lips over her skin. Each passage of his tongue left a trail of longing in its wake and each sting caused by his teeth fired her nerve endings. When he finally took her nipple in his mouth she felt the answering pull of desire between her legs and all her doubts disappeared. When his finger tips slid through her short lower curls, she briefly wondered when he'd removed her underwear. But, that thought was lost almost immediately when one finger slid into her and shot her desire up another level.

Draco moaned happily against her chest when she joined him in exploration and began to push his clothes down and off of his body. The knowledge that she was his for the taking, the feel of her skin against his, and her sighs and moans in his ears all threatened to overwhelm him. So, when she reached down and took him in hand, he had to stop all movement in order to regain control of his racing body.

Hermione quickly pulled her hand away, "Did I hurt you?"

"Merlin, no," Draco grunted. "But, I want to finish this together, not on my own."

"Huh?" she asked not understanding his implication.

"It wouldn't take me too long right now, love," he tried again.

"Wha…Oh!" she blushed.

"Yeah, oh," he laughed as he leaned up to kiss her. He knew he wouldn't last much longer and hoped she was as ready as he was.

"I love you," he whispered as he pushed her onto her back and followed her over.

"I love you, too," she answered as he settled between her legs.

Draco leaned down and kissed her as he reached down and positioned himself at her entrance. "Ready?"

Hermione held his gaze as she nodded.

He watched her face as he slid part of the way in and stopped. He'd expected a barrier, something he would have to force his way through, but felt nothing but the iron grip of her body on his. She looked uncomfortable, but didn't appear to be in pain, and she nodded at him to continue, so he did and slid forward until he could go no further.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, just wait a second, okay?"

He nodded and held himself as still as possible as she relaxed under him. Hermione felt the small discomfort of her body adjusting to his subside, as the feel of him inside her began to feel less strange. Then she noticed the strain on his face and leaned up to give him a kiss. The shift of her body against his caused them both to gasp and Hermione felt the sudden urge to move.

Draco moaned when she undulated under him. The feeling of her body surrounding his, the way her hands slid along his body and into his hair, the way she couldn't seem to stop kissing him all shattered his senses. The world shrunk to just the two of them and the feel of her velvet heat pulling him deeper; urging him to go faster. Each groan spurred him on, each whimper made him want to go deeper, and each sigh of his name brought him closer to the edge. When her legs wrapped around his he hoped he could last long enough to give her at least a little pleasure before finding his own release. He moved his lips down her now exposed neck and continued to lick, kiss and nibble on her fragrant skin, as he thrust into her welcoming body.

"Merlin, Hermione," he whispered in bliss.

She looked at him as he moved over her and thought he'd never looked more content or beautiful. The feeling of fullness and completion filled her almost as much as he did. And, the way he ground against her before he pulled back kept sending tingles of awareness throughout her body.

"I can't…I'm going to…oh Merlin, baby…love you…I…I…" Draco's voice trailed off with a deep groan. "Hermione," he cried as he let go and slammed into her as far as possible as he found release. His hips moved of their own accord for a while longer as he finished and then collapsed on top of her, his head on her shoulder.

Hermione smiled against his hair as he collapsed on top of her, his breathing ragged in her ear, his lips tenderly kissing her shoulder and neck as he tried to regain control of his body. She ran her hands over him for a moment feeling the muscles of his back under her fingers as she kissed his head and neck.

Draco heard her accio her wand and whisper a contraception charm as he fought to regain his breath. Only when he knew he could talk did he lift his head and look at her. Her soft smile was his reward, but he wanted to hear her say something.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he moved off to the side and saw her grimace a bit at his movement.

"Yeah," she smirked. "I'm perfect. You?"

He leaned back over her and kissed her tenderly, "You need to ask?" He laughed a little before rubbing his thumb over her cheek and asking, "Did you…I mean was it…"

Hermione was astonished to see the normally so 'in control' Draco looking sheepishly at her, but hid her shock behind her small smile. "It was nice, Draco," she sighed and moved his hair off of his sweaty forehead.

"Just nice?" he asked his disappointment clear.

She also noticed the worry in his eyes and leaned up to kiss him softly. "Draco, it was good and it didn't hurt like I thought it would. You were perfect. Parts of it were pretty great, actually."

"But, you didn't…"

She shook her head, but continued to smile happily, "Well, no. But, that's normal from what everyone has said, so I wasn't expecting to honestly. You did get me pretty close there for a minute, though."

He smirked in pride and seemed to accept her explanation, "Well, I will have to try harder next time then. I want to actually earn that stupid title I've been given, you know."

She giggled and he leaned back over to kiss her, but she stopped him with a playful lift of her eyebrow, "Hey! Who says there will be a next time?"

He smirked and leaned down to nip at her nipple, which made her shiver before he whispered, "Oh, there will be!"

xxxxxx


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**Chapter 26**

"But, how can I just let things be?" Pansy asked seriously.

Tonks shrugged, "Pansy, you just do. You sit back and enjoy this time together. You talk to one another and you set your own pace. You don't dwell in the past anymore and you try not to worry about a future you have little control over. You live in the now and have fun with him."

While many of their Monday Mental Health sessions had been about the war and their lingering feelings about it, and they'd covered, at least in part, the things they were supposed to, they both acknowledged that speaking about other things most often seemed more pressing and rewarding. They were closing in on a friendship that for each of them was unlike all the others they had and they enjoyed it immensely. Their talks allowed each of them an ear and a shoulder when needed, that wasn't attached to a close friend or a complete stranger. Tonks found herself opening up about things that she and Remus fought about or troubles she had as a new mother, because she finally had someone to listen to her. Most of her friends and acquaintances were much older or somewhat younger and they shared their friendship with her husband. For Pansy their relationship had developed into one much like she imagined having an older sister would be. She could, and had, told Tonks things she couldn't imagine telling anyone else. She reveled in having someone to tell her inner most thoughts and secrets to who didn't judge, placate, or jump all over her for having them.

"I'm just so afraid of screwing this up, Tonks," Pansy sighed heavily. "He's so…good. And, I am, I was…"

"We've been through this before," Tonks reminded her gently. "You may not have been the nicest person in the past, and you made some mistakes in judgment, but the simple fact that you wanted to change, means you weren't as bad as you think you were."

"I get that now, I think. But, what if he, I mean I…," Pansy whispered.

When Pansy didn't elaborate Tonks moved from her own chair to sit next to Pansy's and took her hand, "We've talked about just about everything very openly haven't we?"

She continued when Pansy nodded, "You can tell me anything."

"I know, it's just," Pansy trailed off once again.

"Is this about sex?" Tonks asked.

She had been eighteen not too long ago and remembered how many things in the world had revolved around romance and sexuality at that age. Tonks had noticed the way Ron and Pansy interacted, and she knew Ron came from a rather prolific family. It wasn't a long shot to guess that sex would be on their minds.

"Kind of," Pansy hedged, but she didn't turn away.

"Is he pressuring you?" Tonks asked softly, even though in her head she was already planning ways to hex the redhead without getting caught.

"No! It's not like that," Pansy rushed to tell her. Then she laughed, "It'll probably be the other way around soon, though."

"It's like that is it?" Tonks laughed in relief. When Pansy blushed and nodded she asked, "So, then? What's the problem?"

"He's going to find out I'm a…"

"A?"

"Virgin," Pansy said as if it were the worst thing on the planet.

Tonks laughed lightly, "Regardless of all the rumors around this place, Pansy, I think you will find that most of the girls here are."

"But, I'm not supposed to be!" Pansy cried as she stood up and began pacing. "Everyone thinks Draco and I, but we never, there was just too much going on. I really didn't like him like that anyway, so it just wasn't, but we were promised to one another, so I guess I should have. We fooled around a bit sometimes, but then he really didn't seem to want to, with me, I mean, not really. Plus, he was so busy trying to do all he had to do back then. But, we never told anyone we didn't and we kind of let people think it. I mean, what was the point of saying we hadn't? We were a couple in everyone's eyes, so it wasn't like it would have been wrong, but…"

"Pansy breathe!" Tonks stopped her pacing by putting her hands on the Pansy's shoulders. "Good. Now, start over. I'm not understanding."

Pansy collapsed into a chair and started to wring her hands. Tonks watched with pride as Pansy realized what she was doing and collected herself, something she wouldn't have been able to do a little over a month ago. Pansy then straightened and took in a deep breath.

She closed her eyes and said in a voice that dripped with embarrassment, "He's going to think I know what I'm doing. What if I am complete crap at it? He'll be upset and we'll break up and I'll…"

"Whoa whoa! That's a bit of a leap, don't you think?" Tonks interrupted with a tender smile. When Pansy just shrugged and looked at her sadly, Tonks continued. "Okay, first, most guys Ron's age are pretty happy to just be there, if you know what I mean, so I don't see how it's possible for him to be all that disappointed. Plus, I know him pretty well and I think it's safe to say he'll think being your first will be pretty great. And, last, why don't you just talk to him?"

"About this?!" Pansy gasped in shock.

"Yes," Tonks nodded emphatically. "I'll tell you what my mother told me, 'if you can't talk about it, then you shouldn't be doing it.' I hate to agree with her, but think about it. You want to share your whole self with him, right?"

"Yeah," Pansy blushed.

"You love him?"

"I guess," Pansy shrugged. But then she nodded, "I mean, I'm pretty sure I do, I think, but I haven't told him or anything yet."

"Well, maybe you should," Tonks smiled. "Has he told you?"

"Not really," Pansy shook her head with a dreamy smile. "But, he did say that he liked me a lot, though."

"Liked you? That's it?!"

"No, it was more than that. I told him I liked him a lot, too," Pansy answered in defense even as she blushed.

Tonks grinned in understanding, "Ah, so you two _really_ like each other. Got it. And, do you talk? I mean really talk. About stuff that's sometimes uncomfortable?"

Pansy nodded as she thought about their talks of the war and their first six years of school.

"So, don't you think you should be able to talk to him about something this important?"

"I guess," Pansy demurred.

Tonks tilted her head and gave Pansy a very motherly stare as she asked, "Are you sure you're ready for this? Or, are you doing it just because you think you should?"

"I want this," Pansy said even as she blushed a deep crimson. "I want him. Tonks, I think I do lo…love him."

The older witch smiled softly and her hair changed to a soft shade of red as she said, "Okay, then. All that's left is to talk to him."

"But, how? When? What do I say?"

"I can't give you the words, Pansy, or tell you when to say them; just that you should do it before you get to that point of no return. You tell him how you feel and how you got to where you are. You tell him how you were able to hold onto your virginity, so that you could gift it to someone special. You let him tell you how he feels about it. Then the two of you figure out what to do, and when, together."

Pansy was quiet for a moment as she took in Tonks' words, then she nodded, "Okay. I talk to him. I just tell him."

Tonks nodded, "You just tell him."

xxxxxx

"Tell me everything!" Ginny demanded.

Hermione stifled her surprised screech as she realized who had pulled her behind a statue on her way to Arithmancy. She hadn't seen her friends since the dance, as she and Draco had stayed in his rooms for the remainder of the weekend. Theo had intruded on them as little as possible and they hadn't gone out for meals, preferring to snack and simply be together. They'd talked and studied and finished their Potions essays. They'd laughed, whispered secrets and talked about their dreams. And, they'd explored each other over and over again until they'd gotten it, to use his words, "Just perfect."

With the same dogged determination he'd used most of his life, Draco had set out to find out how he could make her fall apart right before he followed. It had taken them a lot of practice, and Hermione hadn't gotten a lot of sleep, but her loopy grin proved she hadn't minded at all.

"Wha…tell you what?" Hermione blinked in confusion.

Ginny laughed as she answered, "You and Draco never surfaced after the dance. You're all but walking into walls. You haven't stopped grinning all day. And, most damning of all, when Hagrid asked the class if anyone had ever seen a mountain troll, you didn't even respond!"

"When?" Hermione asked in shock. "I never heard him ask that?!"

"Well, I supposed not if you were thinking about what I think you were thinking about. Now talk!"

Hermione blushed and giggled, "It was…oh God, Gin…he was…"

"So the rumors of him being god-like are true?" Ginny asked in awe.

Barking a laugh Hermione shook her head, "He hates that nickname."

"But, is it true?" Ginny persisted.

"He's getting there," Hermione smiled dreamily.

When the silence stretched Ginny snapped her fingers in front of her friend's face to bring her back to the conversation, "Hello!"

"Oh, sorry, I just…" Hermione blushed and grinned just as the warning bells were heard ringing through the halls. "We're going to be late to class. Come on!"

She and Ginny hurried down the hall toward their respective classes, but Ginny didn't let the conversation go, "You and I are having lunch in the all commons and you're going to give me every little detail, young lady!"

Hermione laughingly agreed, "Okay okay. I'll see you there."

Ginny shouted, "You better!" as she dashed off down the hall to the hospital wing for Basic Medical Aide. Hermione waved and hurried down the hall to Arithmancy and Draco.

xxxxxx

"Can you pass the Bruise Removal Paste, please?" Ginny asked.

"Don't we have to heal the cuts first?" Pansy asked as she leaned across the body they were working on in class.

Millie shook her head, "Not unless they're large and deadly. All this body's got is scrapes."

"Millie's right," Luna nodded. "Removing the bruising will allow us to see if there's any swelling."

For a while they worked quietly as they finished their assignment to heal the "patient" they'd been assigned. In order to give them practical experience, as well as book learning, on Monday mornings Madame Pomphrey gave them a patient suffering from the various maladies they'd previously discussed. They had to heal them by the end of the class. On Wednesdays there was lecture and the assigning of papers, and Fridays were for handing in their papers and taking their weekly exams.

When Luna and Millie left to get more potions from the supply closet, Pansy leaned over the body and asked with a grin, "So? Did you talk to her?"

"A bit," Ginny nodded. "But, we didn't have a lot of time, so we're meeting for lunch."

"Did she look like she was, um, you know, okay?"

"Oh yeah," Ginny laughed. Then she waggled her eyebrows, "I think it's safe to say they had a good time, if you know what I mean."

Pansy blushed and nodded, "Well, good for her." Then she glanced around to make sure no one was listening before she leaned closer, "Did she say if he was, erm, I mean was he…"

"Well, you should know, shouldn't you?" Ginny laughed lightly until she saw Pansy's shrug. "Wait. But, I thought you two…"

Pansy shook her head as her face flamed.

Ginny's jaw dropped as Pansy's answer sunk in and Hermione's earlier statement, _He's getting there_, played back in her mind. "You never…HE never?!"

"Shh!" Pansy hissed. "For Merlin's sake, Ginny!"

"For Merlin's sake, what?" Millie asked from behind Pansy when she returned with her arms full of potions.

Pansy jumped in surprise, but Ginny tried to cover for them both, "We, uh, we were just exasperated with the number of injuries on the body."

Luna came up and dropped her potions on the table as she laughed, "You're as bad a liar as Hermione, Ginny. If you two were talking privately and don't want us to know what you were talking about, just say so. It's ever so much easier and you don't risk codomongla syndrome."

Ginny winced, but nodded, "You're right, Luna. Sorry guys. It was just kind of personal and a bit embarrassing."

"Can't imagine what the two of you would have to be embarrassed about," Millie grunted.

"Nothing," both girls answered.

"Enough chatter, ladies. More healing," Madame Pomphrey interrupted.

All four put their heads down and got back to work.

xxxxxx

"Yes, that'll work. The ham and cheese with chips, thank you."

Ginny waited until Hermione got her food and they walked over to a small table near the windows. "Okay, talk!" she demanded as soon as they sat down.

Hermione blushed and grinned as she admonished, "It's not like you don't know what it's like, Gin."

Ginny laughed, "Avoidance won't work on me; you know that. How was it? Did it hurt?"

"No. Not as much as I thought it would, based on all you'd said," Hermione laughed as she dipped a chip. "It was nice."

"You were lucky. Probably all of that horseback riding you used to do. Trust me; it really did hurt the first time." Ginny shuddered in memory then smiled, "But, at least it got better. Much better."

Hermione laughed and then Ginny asked, "So, just nice?"

"Well, it was really good at first and it was getting better, but then it was just over," Hermione shrugged.

Ginny's eyes widened, "He didn't try to, you know, help you finish?"

Hermione blushed, "Well he was kind of excited, Gin."

"Of course he was, being his first time and…"

"How did you know?!"

Ginny told her about her talk with Pansy both during class and afterward and then promised to never let Draco know she knew. Once Hermione got over her initial embarrassment about talking about things, the two of them began talking in earnest about their experiences. By the time lunch was over Hermione was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to look Harry in the eye for a long while. She was also armed with a couple of new ideas she was sure Draco would enjoy trying.

xxxxxx

"Are you sure you're okay, Greg?" Parvati asked softly that evening as she sat with her feet up under her on the sofa in front of the fire in her common room. He had been staring into the fire lost in thought and she worried that he was sad over his breakup with Millie.

Greg looked over and nodded as he smiled at her from his seat in the chair opposite the sofa, "I'm really fine, Vati. Thanks for asking though."

"Okay, but if you want to talk or something, I'm here," she smiled at him.

"Thanks," he said again before he looked back down at his essay.

Theo came in from the kitchenette with drinks for everyone and sat down next to Parvati. "So, where are we?"

They were working on their papers for Muggle Studies and were each trying to fill two feet of parchment. Although each had chosen a different topic they were trying to help each other remember things from the Hermione's birthday that each had forgotten.

"I'm almost done," Parvati answered. "I just need to write up the last bit about how the Big Ben clock actually works; about five inches, I expect."

Greg held up his parchment with a chuckle, "This is probably the easiest paper I've ever written. I may even get extra credit for going over. I'm already at two and a half feet and I'm not done yet."

"I still can't believe you chose the servers," Theo laughed.

"Well, it was interesting; seeing people carrying and cleaning and stuff. The comparison between them and house elves and how they did things was kinda cool," Greg shrugged. Then he teased, "Besides, it's way more interesting than the similarities and differences between muggle and wizard lighting."

Theo sat forward as he spoke, "But, it was so different! I mean, did you see all the various types and sizes they used everywhere we went? And, not a candle to be seen anywhere!"

Greg rolled his eyes and shook his head. With all the things they'd seen and done during that day, Theo had been most fascinated by the lights, light fixtures, and even light switches. When they'd gone bowling, the swirling, moving lights on all the boards had shocked him so much that he'd spent the first fifteen minutes simply staring at all of them. Then, for days after the weekend, whenever anyone had asked about what they'd seen or done, Theo had launched into a 'let me tell you how they light things' story that left most bored senseless.

Parvati, who had heard him go on and on all weekend, patted his knee and gave him a small indulgent smile, "So you've said, love. I'm sure Professor Mills will enjoy reading it. But, you need to finish writing it, first."

"Oh, right," he agreed. "Only a few inches left. I still have to write about the knobs they used to turn the lights on and off."

He continued to mutter to himself as he started to scribble on his parchment. Parvati shook her head with a giggle, while Greg rolled his eyes and went back to his own essay.

"What were their uniforms called again?"

"Tuxedos," Parvati answered before she settled back into her own essay.

xxxxxx

The next day in Charms class Professor Flitwick decided they were far enough long to learn the Fidelius Charm. He explained that they would need to think of a secret and then learn to hide that secret within their partner. After a reminder to them that it should be something they wouldn't mind getting out, in case the charms didn't work, he read off the pairs.

When he said, "Miss Granger and Mr. Zabini," the entire class fell silent awaiting the explosion. They held a collective breath when Blaise stood up from his desk and turned to face Hermione.

Blaise kept his face blank as he looked into Hermione's eyes and stoically ignored the silence. He then huffed out a breath and picked up his books. Almost every jaw, including Hermione's, dropped when Blaise simply moved over to Hermione and sat in the empty chair next to her.

Professor Flitwick didn't seem to notice anything amiss and continued to call out the rest of the names on his list. But, everyone else whispered and speculated on how soon the insults and hexes would begin flying between the pair, until the last pair was called, "That leaves, Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy."

Where there had been whispers before, the class then erupted in rather loud chatter as everyone looked between the two pairs of unlikely couples. It took the professor a couple of minutes to call the class back to order and give them instruction on the motions and sounds of the charm. He also explained the various ways in which the charm could be performed incorrectly and the consequences of doing so. It was a good thing Hermione, Blaise, Harry and Draco were good students, as none of them paid any attention to the lecture as they each sat lost in their own thoughts.

Blaise decided he would be mature about it. He'd spent the majority of the time after the dance in his room thinking and making lists. On one piece of paper he'd listed all of the things he remembered Hermione and her friends saying and doing wrong to him in the past. It had been a pitifully short list, so he'd expanded it to include all the things they'd done to his friends. That list hadn't been much longer, but at least he'd thought of some things. Once he'd completed that one to his satisfaction, he'd begun the second, the list of all the things they'd ever done that had been nice. When the list of things grew to the second sheet of paper, and he'd realized it had been a much easier list to write, he'd stopped writing and gone flying. There, soaring above the school in wide, quiet circles, he let things go finally. With each pass of the towers and turrets of the building, he felt his anger, pain, and disillusionment abate a bit more. The faster he flew, the more of the past he released. By the time he'd landed and gone back to his room, he had laughed to himself as he imagined that he was a lot like the muggle Christmas Grinch that Professor Mills had told them about in class the week before.

As he sat in class looking into the confused and suspicious eyes of the person who had taken the brunt of his confusion and anger, he felt something he'd never felt in her presence before, sorrow. He wanted to apologize for the things he's said and done to her, but he knew words would never suffice. It was time for action. He opened his mouth to start the assignment, but was cut off by her.

Hermione raised her chin and narrowed her eyes at him, "Look Zabini, I know you don't want to be paired with me, but I refuse to get a bad grade because of you and your…"

"Hermione," he began and watched as her jaw clamped shut at the use of her first name. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and finished his sentence. "I need to keep my grades up and do a good job on this assignment, as well. As I'm paired with the supposedly brightest witch in the school, I don't see why that shouldn't happen."

He almost laughed at her very comical imitation of a fish out of water, but held it in. Even though he planned to make a better effort to get along with her, it still felt good to shut her up for a bit.

Instead he smiled, which he noticed made her eyes widen and then grow suspicious again, and said, "Shall we get started?"

xxxxxx

Across the room, Harry and Draco watched and waited. Both felt the urge to go over and see what Blaise was saying to Hermione that had her looking so surprised and suspicious, but as they knew she could fight her own battles, they stopped themselves. Anyone who happened to glance in their direction would have seen the same belligerent stance they'd adopted; the similar looks on their faces. In fact, Theo and Ginny actually laughed together at the picture they made, one light, one dark, mirroring one another without meaning to do so.

When Hermione relaxed back into her seat and the grip she had on her wand relaxed, both Harry and Draco leaned back in their chairs with a relieved sigh. The simultaneous actions made them finally look at each other. When both sneered, they realized how similarly they sat and rolled their eyes at one another. Then, Harry's face broke into a small grin.

"God, it's like looking at a negative of myself," he laughed a bit. When Draco simply lifted an eyebrow at him the smile left Harry's face and he sighed heavily. "Malfoy, I think it's safe to say neither of us wants to be doing this."

Draco nodded once, but didn't speak. He didn't consider it his fault they were at their impasse. Harry had been just as much of a jerk, if not more, this year than Draco had.

Harry waited to see if the blonde would speak, and when he didn't Harry cleared his throat and nodded, "Okay. So, should we begin?"

Again, Draco didn't speak, but nodded once and picked up his wand.

"So, what deep, dark, Deatheater secret are you going to tell me?" Harry asked snidely when he got tired of the silent treatment.

Draco took a breath before he answered finally, "You know, Potter, for a guy who started off the year telling me he wanted us to behave civilly, you don't even seem to be trying." Harry sat up in his chair defensively, but Draco continued, "Look, I'm tired of fighting with you. I don't even know why we do it anymore. Let's just accept that we don't like each other and move on. All this childish bullshit is getting old and getting us nowhere. I will not stoop to your level anymore, Potter. And, I am not going to let you mess things up with Hermione and me. I'm not going away, so be a man and suck it up!"

Harry was quiet as he stared at the belligerent face of the one person in his life who still represented all the evil of his past. He knew Draco was right, but the thought of agreeing out loud with him stuck in his craw. Instead he lifted his wand, made the correct motion and said, "Fidelius."

Draco's eyes widened in shock at Harry's actions, but he said nothing as he waited for the secret the golden boy of Gryffindor would impart. He never expected the secret he received.

"I don't like you and I don't trust you. But, as far back as I can remember I have never really hated you. I know hate, Malfoy, and I simply don't feel it towards you. I am truly sorry for almost killing you with that spell sixth year. But, I guess my secret is this. I don't hate you, Malfoy, and now that I reluctantly know you better, I know that in another life, under different circumstances, the very things that piss me off about you are the same things that would have made us friends."

Draco, who had expected to hear some great truth about the war, was shocked at Harry's statement. He wasn't quite sure what to say back as there seem to be no right way to answer such a thing. Then he remembered it was his turn and thought over what secret he would expose. It gave him a bit of satisfaction to see Potter flinch when he whipped his wand up and pointed it at the scar on the other man's forehead. But, he decided if Potter could be that honest, so could he.

"Fidelius," Draco said as he completed the correct wand movement. Then, "I don't hate you either, Potter, there's even a small part of me that actually admires some of the things you've done. I've spent far too much of my time this year trying to figure out why we're the only two who can't seem to get along. What I have come to realize, my secret if you will, is that I hate the feeling of knowing that my entire life might have been different if you had only taken my hand that first day of school and I may never be able to forgive you for not doing so."

Neither even contemplated the idea that they hadn't cast the charms correctly, and they knew the other hadn't either. Their secrets were safe. But, as they continued to stare at one another in the ever quieting room, the same thought dawned on them. With the release of those simple secrets much of their animosity towards one another faded and they were left wondering where they would go from there. Then, without meaning to, they once again mirrored each other as they turned away with similar contemplative looks on their faces and looked over to check on Hermione and Blaise.

Professor Flitwick waited at the front of the room for everyone to finish and tried to keep his own devilish grin to a minimum. He knew most of the students in the school saw him as a bit of a joke and therefore always underestimated his Ravenclaw intelligence. He knew his students well enough to know that most would cast the charms correctly, so as he'd thought about the day's lesson he decided to pair them with people they normally would not want knowing any kind of secret about them. Then, before he opened the doors to the classroom, he'd cast two spells of his own. The first was a protection spell over himself, so he would remain unaffected by anything that might happen in the room. Then he cast the second, a True Confession Charm, on the room at large, so that each student would be compelled to tell a true, deeply held secret. It was his own test of their Charms' skills. If they cast the spell properly, their secrets were safe and they passed the lesson. If they didn't and their secrets got out, he would hear about it, and they failed.

He never took into account the possibility of altering the lives of the students in the room as he stood in front proudly waiting for them to finish. He might have rethought the strength of his confession charm had he heard the secrets that were spilled.

"I think I've always hated you because you were everything I wanted so much to love and couldn't have."

"A part of me has always wondered what my life would have been like had I been born into a magical family."

"I'm scared to death of her father and have cried over the thought that he won't let her marry me."

"I think I may be pregnant."

"I'm a virgin and I want you to be my first."

"I plan to wait until marriage to have sex."

"I sometimes wish I didn't have a twin so people would try harder to get to know me alone and not always thinking of me as part of a set."

"I want to find love and have someone treat me like a normal person, not an ex-Deatheater or a big lump of stupid."

"Nargles are real."

xxxxxx


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27  
**

Parvati blushed a little at her confession and wondered how Dean would reciprocate.

"Well, I am sure that's normal. I would bet Padma 's over there saying something similar," he smiled gently at her.

"Thanks," she smiled in appreciation. "Your turn."

Dean closed his eyes and tried to think of a secret other than the one bouncing around his brain. That one was so very personal; so his own, that he didn't think he even trusted the Fidelus to protect it. He'd denied it for over a year and then when that hadn't worked, simply tried to ignore it. He knew without a doubt it was a lost cause. But, no matter what he did, it was there, looming over him, making his heart ache.

He finally found a secret he didn't mind sharing and opened his eyes with a smile. He didn't mind telling how he and Seamus had managed to sneak into Dumbledore's office fourth year and nicked sweets. Besides, if the charm didn't work, it was really too late for retribution and it was kind of funny. With a satisfied grin he performed the charm and leaned in to the witch beside him.

"I've been in love with Ginny since fourth year and even knowing she's happy with Harry, a bloke I love like a brother, it breaks my heart to know I will never have her again. I want her to look at me like she does him. I miss her so much it aches. Just one more kiss and I…"

It took a long moment and the vision of Parvati's shocked face for the sound of his own voice to reach his horrified ears. "No, that's not what I meant to say!"

Parvati smiled sadly at him, "It's okay, Dean, I won't say a word. But, I…oh Merlin, Dean, I am so sorry."

His head lowered in confusion and pain as he joked, "A little more than you were banking on hearing, I guess." When she just continued to smile sadly at him, he wondered aloud, "I don't even know why I said it. I've never told anyone."

"I won't tell anyone," she assured him. "And, maybe it's for the best. I mean, now that you've finally gotten it out, maybe you can start to move on. You're a great guy, Dean and an accomplished wizard. Some lucky witch is probably waiting to snap you right up."

His eyes moved across the room to the face of his secret love and he muttered, "Yeah, right."

Parvati followed his eyes and sighed, her heart breaking a bit for him. He was a beautiful person inside and out. His soulful dark brown eyes could melt the stoniest heart, and his deep laugh was infectious. He deserved happiness.

"Dean, look at me." When he did she smiled encouragingly, "Trust me when I say, the right woman is out there. When you let her find you, she won't ever let you go. After this year I can honestly say love comes when you least expect it, and often with someone you never even knew existed. When you find her, what you feel for Ginny will pale in comparison, I promise you."

xxxxxx

Theo felt the magic flowing through him and trembled, but as he watched Ginny do the same, he wondered if it was from the spell or her confession. He knew his surprise was evident on his face as he sent a startled glance over at Harry.

"He doesn't know," Ginny whispered in anguish. "I'm not even completely sure, yet, not really. I'm afraid to do the test, but seeing as how Mom was and there are seven of us…Oh, gods, why would I tell you such a thing?!"

He shook his head as if to clear it, as he shrugged slightly. It was then he noticed they had clasped hands and he tightened his grip on the frightened witch.

"Ginny, not only because of the spell, but because it is not something to be gossiped about, your secret is safe with me."

Tears flowed from her eyes as she nodded in acceptance and her lips trembled as she spoke. "We've not really talked about ma…mar…marriage, he and I. Not really. What if I've ruined everything now?"

"He loves you, Ginny. Things will work out," he assured her, even though he wondered if he was lying to her. "Let's not forget, he was there, too. It's not all your fault."

She smiled tremulously and wiped at her tears with her sleeves. Then she blew out a breath and squeezed his hand back, "Vati is lucky to have found you, Theo; you're an amazing man. You two are meant to be. Her father won't be able to stand in your way."

xxxxxx

Hermione stared blankly at Blaise as their secrets settled over them, the affect of the spell shimmering around them. Each was unsure if they were more shocked by their own words or the confession of the person across from them.

As expected, Hermione breached the growing silence, her voice barely above a whisper, "You wanted me?"

Blaise, his innermost secret now laid bare, winced hearing the words from her lips. But, something compelled him to give a pained nod. Then, without his permission, his mouth continued to spill his thoughts.

"At first I thought it was some sort of jinx, I mean, I couldn't be attracted to you; no way, no how. I searched for the culprit, but found no one. I even followed you for a while thinking you had done something; were putting something in my food or drink."

When she looked affronted he shrugged, "Sorry, but nothing else made sense. I didn't like you. You were everything you shouldn't have been, damned near perfect in every way, and you didn't even have the decency to be sorry about it. But, as it continued, I knew it for what it was and stamped it down. There was no way I could let anyone, including myself, know I was attracted to a mud…muggleborn witch, especially not you of all the witches in the world. But, by the end of sixth year, I knew it was real and not dissipating. That was when I started to join Draco in his taunts of you and the others. Somehow in my twisted thinking, if I could make you hate me more, then I would start to hate you again, as I should've."

Hermione blinked owlishly at him in her shock, for once, at a loss for words.

"I know it doesn't make any sense, but the more I wanted you, the more cruel I was to you, until finally I started to believe my own craziness. Then the war came and I didn't have to see you anymore. I thought I was finally free of whatever pull you had on me. But, no, I walked back in these doors, saw you and it all flooded back. Merlin, Granger."

"But, but," she stuttered in confusion, "You've been so hateful, so angry, I don't understand."

He leaned close and growled, partly in anger, partly in frustration, "Do you think I wanted to feel this? You have no idea the shame, the fear, the pai…Do you think I wanted to watch my best friend fall for the one witch I wanted and told myself all this time I couldn't have? The one he shouldn't have wanted, either!"

"Blaise, I…"

"No," he cut her off with a shake of his head. Then he looked up at the ceiling as if searching for answers before he looked back at her. His voice was a low, honest caress as he whispered, "I don't hate you, Gra…Hermione. I just hate what you've unknowingly done to my life."

"I'm so sorry," she said as her eyes shone with tears and one lone drop slid down her cheek.

When he felt himself reaching toward her face to wipe it away, he snapped his hand back in horror. "What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I telling you this?"

Hermione shook her head, shrugged and lapsed into an uneasy silence.

Blaise sat back a little and stared at the top of his desk as he tried to figure out why he was telling her things he had barely admitted to himself. When the silence became too much, he cleared his throat softly and, without looking at her, asked about her secret.

"Grang…Hermione? Why should you wondering about being a pureblood be a secret?"

Hermione flushed a bit at his continued use of her name, and glanced around nervously to see if anyone could hear them before she answered.

Taking a fortifying breath, she looked at him very seriously, "Please don't take this the wrong way, because I know how it's going to sound, but let me explain before you react, okay?"

He nodded silently, but she could tell he would give her a chance for a change.

"Okay. I honestly believe, despite the prophecy and all, I mean I know it was important and I know Harry was the one who…"

Blaise snorted, "Stop stalling and get on with it already. I know history. What's that got to do with you imagining yourself a pureblood?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his interruption and continued, "Fine! I believe our side won, at least in part, because of me being muggleborn."

When his eyebrow rose, she hurriedly continued, "Yes, my research and planning was needed, and I think it made a difference, but in my heart I believe me being…well, me, was just as important. If I hadn't been Harry's best friend and Ron hadn't been interested in me, would their connection to the fight have been as strong? If they hadn't had a living, breathing example of what they were fighting for standing right next to them, day in and day out, would they have stayed as committed? Would the other Order members have fought as hard if they hadn't had to look at me every day? Of all the people who fought and died, I was the only muggleborn on the front line. I was practically the poster child for what they were fighting for every day. Don't get me wrong; I'm not big-headed enough to think they couldn't have won without me; I know they could have. But, me being there fighting with them, most definitely helped. Does that make sense?"

Blaise thought it over for a long moment and nodded slowly, as he tilted his head to the side. "Yeah, I guess. But, what does that have to do with…"

Her eyes welled again with tears as she looked shamefacedly at him, "Every time I have that thought, I am betraying every person who fought; spitting on the memory of those who died. I am practically telling Ron he splinched himself for no good reason and Harry he _died_ for no good reason. How can I even begin to wonder about being other than what I am when they fought and died, so I could be?"

Blaise stared at her in wonder and then barked a laugh. When she blanched as if he'd slapped her, he stopped laughing, but the smile stayed on his face.

"Merlin's balls, Granger! Do you always kick yourself this hard? Are you really so smart that you're that stupid?"

"What do you…"

"I can't believe you survived our childhood! You should be a bruised and battered mess, between all of us kicking you around and you doing it to yourself like this."

Hermione just continued to look at him with a confused expression, so he sighed and turned more toward her as he explained, "Did you ever want straight hair? Or, blue eyes? Bigger or smaller boobs? The ability to fly like Draco and Potter?"

She shrugged and he sat back a bit as he said slowly, "For someone who's supposed to be brilliant…I can't believe you're making me say this out loud! Shit! Okay, here goes, we all wonder about what it would be like to be different than we are; it's normal. Whether it's your body, your hair, or…dammit, your blood, it's just another difference you can't control and doesn't matter, so you wonder about it. It's like me wondering what it would have been like to be lighter skinned. It's not a betrayal, it's simply human."

Hermione's eyes were huge in her face when he finished. Part of her shock was from hearing her greatest fear put so succinctly aside; but the other part of her shock was from having it told to her, the way he had, by Blaise.

"Well…I…wow," was all she could say as she stared through him lost in her own realizations.

Blaise was just as shocked at himself, as he realized that he actually believed what he'd said. To cover his discomfort, and the awkward silence, he smirked.

"So, if you had been born a pureblood, think we would have gotten together?"

Her eyes flew to his and a blush filled her cheeks at his playful leer. But, before she could answer, they were interrupted by their professor.

xxxxxx

"That's not good," Professor Flitwick mumbled to himself as he saw several of the witches in his room shedding tears. He honestly hadn't meant any harm with his Confession Charm, and wondered just what he'd unknowingly unleashed on his students. In his zeal to test them, he'd forgotten to take into account just who he was toying with in that particular class. While most people their age would have few meaningful secrets to tell, it had slipped his mind that he had a class full of war veterans. He had paired opposites in not only sex or house, but on sides of the war and belief systems.

He couldn't believe he hadn't even thought of it at the time. What secrets could they be telling one another that would make many cry? His eyes widened as he thought of the possible mental anguish he had inflicted on them without meaning to do so.

With a sorrowful sigh he called the room back to attention. "Well, it seems some of your secrets were more, um, touching than I realized they would be."

He waited while they all glanced around and noticed the others in the room. "I trust you all did the spell correctly and I remind you and your secret keeper that the pain you will suffer, not death as I have dampened the affects of your spells, should you divulge that secret is not worth whatever momentary vengeance it may gain you. I also add another reminder that should you tell your own secret, nothing will happen to your secret keeper and they are then free to speak of it on their own."

He saw several students cast wary looks at the people next to them, but noticed others who looked relieved. Whether their relief was due to his words, or the unburdening of their souls, he would never know.

xxxxxx

Later that night, Pansy sat on Ron's common room sofa and stared unseeing into the fire. They hadn't really talked since Charms class earlier in the day, and when he'd asked her after dinner to come back to his rooms to talk, she'd apprehensively agreed. Her secret wasn't one any longer as she'd already discussed it with first Professor Tonks, and then with the girls at lunch. They'd noticed her distress and offered to have a small lunch in Hermione and Parvati's room, so they could talk.

She'd told them of her talk with the professor, as well as her confession to Ron. Then, she'd burst into fresh tears when she couldn't tell his secret or why it pained her to know it. Not knowing his secret they tried to console her, but she just shook her head sadly at them and left for her next class.

Pansy was beside herself with grief. Since she was unaware of Professor Flitwick's machinations, she didn't know that Ron's desire to wait for marriage to have sex was real. All she could figure was her truthfulness in confessing her innocence to him had turned him off so completely, that he'd said the first thing he could think of to not have to ever touch her again.

Sitting beside him she glanced over at his serious face in the quiet room and knew fresh pain when he sighed heavily and lifted his eyes to hers. For a long moment they stared at one another, only the crackling of the logs in the fireplace making any sound, and when he glanced back down at his hands, her heart felt it would break in two.

But, one thing she would not do was let him see her cry. She had grown a lot in a short time and she'd finally regained her shredded dignity. She refused to let him see her break again.

Unable to take the silence any longer, she sat up straighter, fisted her hands together in her lap and turned to face him fully, "Just say it."

Ron looked up at her in surprise, his face a mask of confusion, "Huh? Say what?"

"Whatever it is you wanted to say. You asked me back here to talk, so talk. Why are you dragging this out?!"

He blinked at her sudden anger, "Pans, I'm…I…"

Lunging to her feet, she turned away and took a deep breath. If he was going to break up with her, she wanted to be ready to get out of the room before her first tear fell. She wasn't sure how long she would be able to hold them back, so she started slowly inching toward the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked, stunned by her confusing actions. "Dragging what out?"

In exasperation she put her hands on her hips and shouted, "Just do it already!"

He stood and came around the sofa slowly, as if he was approaching a wild animal, "Pansy? What's wrong? What do you want me to do?"

"Me?!" she shrieked. "This isn't what I want! This is what you want!"

"What are you talking about?!" he huffed loudly. Then he tunneled his hands through his hair and mumbled to himself, "I told Harry I was crap at talking about this stuff!

"You told Harry before you told me?" she whispered, pained. "Did you have to practice saying it or something?"

Finally, Ron had had enough and bellowed, "What the devil are you on about?"

She turned away and swallowed heavily as she willed away the tears that threatened to come despite her best efforts. "Just say it, Ron. I don't think I can take you drawing it out like this."

Ron stared at the back of her head in silence and went back over their conversation quickly. He knew they were having two completely different conversations, but he had no idea what hers was about.

"Pansy, look at me, please," he sighed softly. When she turned and he saw her unshed tears, even as she lifted her chin defensively, he felt an ache in his gut. "Hon, what do you think we're talking about?"

She sniffed and looked away from him as she sighed, "I know exactly what we're talking about. And, while I will admit it hurts, I am also angry. Very angry, actually. How could you? It's not a criminal offense you know!"

He was startled by her abrupt turn from sadness to anger and stepped back as she advanced on him and starting poking him in the chest sharply punctuating her words.

"In fact, you should have been pleased! Tonks said you would be! They all did! Fat lot they know! It's a gift, dammit! A special one that I wanted you to have! How dare you break up with me because of it!"

Ron, finally understanding her part of their conversation, grabbed her hand with a laugh, "Stop poking me, you silly witch. Wait, you talked to Tonks about this?!"

"Silly?!" she screeched. Then she hit hard on the arm as she yelled, "I'll show you silly!" and went for her wand.

He tried to stop his chuckles as he grabbed her and pinned her arms to her sides. She continued to struggle against him and he did the only thing he could think of to calm her down.

Pansy's shock was complete as she found herself lifted off the ground, suspended in midair with his hands holding her arms, and his lips caressing hers. Her brain ceased to function and the fight went out of her.

Ron slowly broke their kiss and lowered her carefully down his front.

"Okay, listen to me," he said quietly, but seriously. "I'm not breaking up with you. The thought never crossed my mind."

Pansy's whole body sagged against his as she whispered shakily, "Really? You're not?"

He smiled softly as he guided her back to the sofa, "No, hon. Gods, where do you women come up with this stuff?"

When she huffed at him, he pulled her down with him and settled her in his arms. He kissed the tip of her nose and then pulled her up in a hug as he breathed in her unique perfume. He noticed her body shaking a little against his and ran a soothing hand over her back.

Pansy tilted her head and rested it on his wide shoulder; her body slumped against his in relief. She brought her arms up to pull him closer and said quietly, "I'm sorry. I just…I mean after I told you the truth, you said…I guess I assumed…"

"Forgiven," he laughed softly as he nuzzled her neck. "But, the next time let me explain before you jump to conclusions, okay?"

She nodded and turned her head to place a kiss on his shoulder, "I will."

"Okay, so let me make sure we understand each other. You thought I was going to break up with you because you're a virgin after I told you I was one, too? How did that make any sense to you?"

Pansy shrugged as she turned in his arms and settled her back against his chest. Then, as she fiddled with his fingers which rested on her lap, she answered, "I guess I maybe thought you might have just said it so you wouldn't have to touch me anymore?"

He heard the question in her voice and refrained from chuckling again. He knew she felt vulnerable and didn't want to cause her any more angst.

"Oh, Pans," he sighed. "How could you think that? What on earth would make you think I wouldn't want to touch you just because you haven't had sex before? That's actually the complete opposite of the truth."

"But, it's the only thing that made sense, Ron. Why else would you tell me that?"

When he remained silent she asked a different way, "So, what is? The truth I mean," she asked softly. "If you weren't going to break up with me, what did you have to talk to Harry about?"

Ron encircled her more fully and pulled her more tightly against him as he asked, "Let me ask you this. Why might I, a completely normal bloke, not want to have sex until marriage? And, why might I have told you that particular secret?"

"I dunno," she answered with a one-shouldered shrug. "I thought all guys wanted to. If it's not me, then I don't understand."

"I'll say it again, hon, believe me, it's not you. I want you more than you can imagine." When she nodded a little, he continued, "What's my last name, Pansy?"

"Weasley," she answered.

"And, what's the one thing everyone in the wizarding world knows about Weasleys, other than that we all have red hair?"

Pansy laughed a little as she answered, "That there's a bajillion of you."

"Exactly," he sighed.

When he didn't continue, she turned to look at him in confusion, "Exactly, what?"

"One thing my father always impressed upon us was that having children was a responsibility too important to play with. As his children it was our responsibility to make sure his side of the family's, uh, prolific nature didn't get us into trouble."

"Huh?" she asked blankly.

"Merlin, Pans! Fleur was pregnant before they came back from the honeymoon; and Charlie drinks some kind of super strength, partially illegal, dragon's blood potion to protect himself. I don't know what Fred and George do and Ginny, well, she and Harry wouldn't… Anyway, barring the surgery Mom finally had, sex and Weasleys means children, there seems to be no stopping it. And, I don't want to make a mistake that could ruin a lot of lives just to…you know."

He closed his eyes briefly to say, "I think we're in a good place, Pansy. I see a lot of possibilities for us. But, I can't risk it. Not until I know for sure. Does that make sense?"

Pansy sat back on his lap and smiled as she ran her fingers over his high cheekbones, "Yes. Yes, it does. I apologize again for jumping to conclusions. I guess I'm not as solid and secure as I thought I was."

"No worries, love. Let's just take things one day at a time, okay?"

Pansy nodded and leaned down to kiss him quickly. Ron held her tighter and deepened their kiss, until she pulled back with a smirk.

"I guess I should go, huh?"

His grip on her hips tightened as he shook his head and returned her look, "No, I think that would be a really bad idea, actually. I can think of a great many other things you should do."

She leaned into his hard body and wriggled a bit on his lap, "Oh really?"

His answer of, "Yes, really," was muffled against her lips.

xxxxxx


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer**: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

**  
Chapter 28 – The End** (for now)**  
**

_(__**FYI **__- poetic license taken with Harry's birth circumstance)  
_

He watched her lips move as she explained the thing to Professor Hagrid, who listened in rapt attention to her story.

"And, Father actually found one, a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. He wrote that they are much bigger than he thought they would be. He's going to send a picture to me of it soon."

"So, he'll be coming back from Sweden soon then?" Hagrid asked. Luna's father had left on his mission to find the elusive creature as soon as Luna had returned to school and hadn't been home since. He kept in touch with his daughter through regular owls though.

Greg shook his head and pretended to continue to search for the leaves with the correct shade of pink on their edges. _The same shade as her lips…stop that, Greg!_ He sighed heavily to himself. Care of Magical Creatures class had been very interesting for Greg for a change. Actually, his whole morning had been a revelation so far. If he had been asked back in September who his friends were, he would have been hard pressed to come up with a list of five people. Even those five he wouldn't have been sure of, in that they'd always hung together, but never really been close.

But, before and during breakfast, as several people he barely knew expressed their sorrow at his breakup, he realized that he not only had true friends, but also a great number of acquaintances. It was a lot for him to accept and in some ways felt like he has stepped into someone else's life; someone who hadn't bullied half of them for the past six years at the school.

Then, after breakfast on his way to Hagrid's class, he'd been musing on all the changes in his life when Luna Lovegood had stopped him.

"Gregory, did you know a photographic memory is a preeminent sign of great wandless skills?"

He'd been startled by her sudden appearance at his side, and even more so by her words and the use of his full name, "Huh?"

He jerked a bit when her soft hand fell on his arm to stop him from continuing down the hall. When he turned his head she was gazing up at him thoughtfully, but it didn't even occur to him to wonder at what she was thinking about, as her light, clear eyes held his gaze.

"My, you have large muscles. Hmmm. Wandless magic is very much about being able to compartmentalize things in your mind. Having the ability to read something once and put it away for later is just that."

He found himself glancing between her captivating eyes and her moving pink lips and realized he'd been holding his breath. He gulped in much needed air and nodded stupidly as he wondered what, if anything, he was supposed to say to either part of her short speech. It didn't help that she still had her hand on his arm.

Luna smiled up at him and said, "A couple of us were discussing your ability and potential last night in our common room and thought you might like a tutor of sorts."

"My grades are fine. I'm not stupid!" he'd snapped with a bit more bite than he'd intended. He was tired of people thinking him stupid. And, he thought she would remember that, as she was the one he'd confessed his secret to in Charms class the prior day._ I want to find love and have someone treat me like a normal person, not an ex-deatheater or a big lump of stupid._

Her soft smile never wavered even though her eyes widened a little. "To be stupid is to be lacking in the ordinary keenness of the mind, Gregory. I believe we have already established that is not true in your case."

He felt a slight tremor run through him at the way she almost purred his name, but stamped it down and asked, "Why do I need a tutor then?"

She slid her hand down his arm and then away as she once again resumed her walk to class. He instinctively fell in step beside her and waited for her answer.

"Do you think it possible they took my ball shoes? They were so very pretty. I hope I get them back. I know they are rather small, but if three or four tried together, they could carry them away?"

Greg once again found himself at a loss, "Wha…huh?"

"Nargles," she answered as it was most obvious.

Greg shook his head a bit as he reached out to open the large front doors so they could make their way down the hill to class, "What about them?"

Luna skipped lightly past him through the door, "Thank you. Well, it is almost Yule time and they're out and breeding. Maybe they took my shoes to help build a nest or something."

"As it's just the beginning of November, Luna, I think it's safe to say someone in your dorms may have, erm, borrowed them. I'm sure they'll show up." Then he seemed to remember their initial conversation and wanted an answer before they got to class. "Why do you think I need a tutor?"

She sighed and looked up at the clear morning sky above them, "Perhaps you're right. They would be very small right now. We thought I could teach you a few of our games. They might help stretch your mind a bit more so you can reach your full potential."

He didn't think as he reached for her arm and pulled her to a stop, "You want to help me be able to do wandless magic?"

"You're as strong as you look, but very gentle," she murmured appreciatively, even though her eyes never stopped their scan of the sky above them. "No one reaches the pinnacle of success without assistance, Gregory."

He felt his own eyes widen at her words and the slight purr of his name once again. He couldn't think of a thing to say to her and he didn't think to let go of her arm. He never even realized he'd moved closer to her side.

Her light blue eyes once again met his as she smiled a secretive smile, "Think on my offer. I think together, we might bring you to heights you've never before reached."

She gently pulled her arm from his grasp as she looked at his large hand and murmured to herself, "So strong." Then she stepped away and over her shoulder said softly, "We mustn't be late for class."

He didn't know how much time had passed as he stood still in the same spot, mentally going through their short conversation again and again. He kept losing his train of thought though, as he saw her lips moving in his mind's eye as she repeated the words "together, we might bring you to heights you've never before reached. "

Laughter and the clap of a hand on his back brought him back to the present.

"Forget how to get to class?" Harry laughed.

Hermione, Ron and Ginny laughed with him, but not unkindly and he fell in step with them.

"No, I was, uh," he trailed off.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked as he appeared to be at a loss. "Thinking about Millie again?"

He started at the question, "What? No! I'm fine. It's just Luna said we…that I should…I mean that she would…"

He didn't see the looks pass amongst his friends as he trailed off again, his eyes scanning the growing class and stopping when they reached the girl he'd mentioned.

Hermione and Ginny smiled at one another behind his back, and Harry and Ron raised their eyebrows at him. But, none of them said a word as they had reached the rest of the students.

Hagrid, Ground's Keep turned Care of Magical Creatures professor, then greeted everyone loudly and gave them their assignment for the day, which effectively stopped all conversation. The class immediately set to work on finding the leaves with the correct colors, but it didn't keep the friends from glancing between the sprite of a witch and the hulk of a wizard in speculation.

Greg tried to ignore their looks and act as if nothing was different, but he couldn't stop himself from seeking out Luna's form as she moved ahead of him at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. And, when she'd stopped to talk to the professor about her father's findings, he'd involuntarily stopped, too, so as to not move too far away from her. Although he heard her words, it was her lips that had him enthralled.

When she turned her head and their eyes met across the short distance, she smiled and he felt himself redden as he returned her smile with his own grin. Then, he hurriedly moved further down the path away from her so he could regain control of his senses.

xxxxxx

Later that day, Harry moved down the empty hall and headed to his favorite thinking place. For many years he'd gone to that spot that overlooked the grounds at the end of the castle and sat on the edge of the wall as he'd sorted through his most vexing problems. This day was no different. But, the problem was absolutely the most personal one he'd ever faced.

Ginny was pregnant.

When she'd told him the night before, after he'd confronted her on seeming off and distant, he'd gone straight into shock.

_"Preg…what? How? When?"_

"Harry!" she'd cried in exasperation.

"But, we…we…"

"Apparently, it's not only the boys in the family," she'd said faintly as she'd looked away from him and wrapped her arms around herself protectively.  
  
Harry dropped his head in his hands and closed his eyes as he remembered for the thousandth time the look on her face when he'd sputtered, "What are you going to do?"

He'd known even as the words had crossed his lips that they were going to sound and be wrong, but he hadn't been able to form any other thought.

"Mom, Dad? What do I do now?" he whispered into the air. "I love her. I know she's the one, but it's all too soon."

He stopped and listened to the wind, hoping against hope that another miracle would happen and they would answer his inquiry. He waited a long moment as he thought back on the times in his life when they had shown up, in one way or another, right when he needed them most. If he listened hard enough he could almost hear his father's gruff voice calling his name.

"Harry?"

He jerked and almost fell off the wall at the voice so near his ear and the hand on his arm. But, when he turned his head sharply, his eyes met those of Remus Lupin.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked. "I called your name twice before you heard me."

"Sorry, I…sorry," Harry sighed in a bit of disappointment. "I was just thinking about my parents."

Remus moved to stand beside Harry and look down over the grounds in silence. Harry was struck by the similarity between that moment and the one back in 3rd year. Taking a deep breath, Harry squeezed his hands together and once again contemplated unloading his worries on his mentor and friend.

Before he could decide, Remus spoke quietly, "So, Harry. Another Weasley on the way, eh?"

Harry gaped, then sputtered, "How'd you… Did she…" He stopped abruptly when Remus' eyes met his and the older man shook his head a little.

"I came upon her talking to Hermione before class yesterday. She seemed upset and I started over to them to see if I could help."

Harry waited as the professor stopped and seemed to struggle with his next words. Remus turned his head away and closed his eyes for a moment as he breathed slowly. Then he turned back to Harry.

"I heard its heartbeat," he finally confessed on a harsh whisper.

Harry blinked for a minute before understanding dawned and he wondered briefly which of them was more embarrassed. He didn't know if his own shame at allowing it to happen outweighed Remus' at admitting to his werewolf half's intrusion.

"Oh," Harry finally breathed as he looked away from the older man. After what seemed a very long time to both, Harry asked quietly, "Are you very upset with me?"

Remus didn't answer immediately as he turned to look at the boy-turned-man who was identical in looks to his father, Remus' dearest and most missed friend. The thought of Harry's father brought a small smile to his face and he remembered a long ago conversation very similar in topic.

"Do you love her?" he asked very seriously.

"Yes," Harry answered without hesitation.

Remus nodded approvingly and continued, "And, do you see yourselves sharing a life? Having a family?"

"Yes, with everything in me. I want to be as good a father as…as you are to Teddy," Harry answered honestly, quickly and with absolute certainty. But, then his voice dropped in apprehension, "But, not yet. It's too soon. We haven't even really talked about marriage, not really. And, we're still in school. We both thought after school we'd travel a bit and…"

Remus interrupted softly, "Harry, have you ever thought about your birth date?"

Harry looked at him and shook his head, his face a mix of fright and question. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Remus smiled encouragingly as he said, "Did it never occur to you that your birthday is in July when we had only graduated in May of that same year? That their wedding date preceded their graduation date by quite a few months?"

"No. I…" Harry trailed off as realization assailed him. "Mum was…with me?!"

Remus nodded as he smiled and looked out over the grounds once more in memory. "As I recall, your father didn't take the news very well at all at first." He laughed a little to himself as he continued, "Ticked Lily off quite a bit, I tell you. He said something along the lines of what she was going to do about it and she didn't talk to him again for weeks."

When he turned his head to Harry's the smile dropped from his face at the guilt Remus saw on the younger man's face. "Oh, Harry. What did you say to her?"

"Seems I take after my father once again," Harry tried to joke sadly. Then he sighed heavily and slid down the wall until he sat on the floor. "What do I do now? What can I say to fix this, Remus?"

Remus put his hand on Harry's head in a gesture of support as he answered, "I will tell you what I told James when he asked the same thing, Harry. She loves you and only wants to know you feel the same and will do right by her. She needs to hear that you won't leave her alone in this; that you will take responsibility for what you have both done." Then he squatted in front of Harry and waited until the younger man lifted miserably scared and sad eyes to his own before he finished. "You need to talk to her and decide together what is best for you and your shared future."

xxxxxx

"Do you ever think about the future?" Draco asked softly above her head as he stared up at the multitude of stars above them.

They stood on the parapets of the Astronomy tower with his arms around her and his cloak keeping them both warm. She had come up to meet him after class and snuck in when the class had ended. It was against the rules to be up there without a professor present, but their desire to spend some time alone under the stars, along with the risk of being caught, had been enough to make them try it.

She nodded her head against him and answered with a laugh in her voice, "You know I do. Why do you ask?"

She felt him shrug as he said, "Just thinking out loud, I guess."

Hermione lifted her head from him and looked up into his pensive face, "Draco, talk to me."

She watched as he seemed to think on what he would say. Then he lowered his head and looked at her briefly before tightening his hold on her and looking back to the night sky.

"There are a couple of things I know for sure," he began quietly. "I know I want to work in Potions with Severus as my mentor. I know I want to spend time getting to really know my mother and the rest of my family. I know I don't want to be like my…that I want to live my life my way. I know that I love you and want to be with you. I know that I want to see your face in the moonlight from the tops of those buildings Professor Mills talked about in class, the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building."

When he stopped talking, but continued to play with one her curls distractedly, she questioned softly, "But?"

He looked down in surprise, almost as if he'd forgotten she was there, "But, what?"

"You know all those things, but…"

Once again he shrugged and looked away from her. Just when she thought he wouldn't answer, he took a deep breath and whispered on a choked breath, "I know I'm scared."

Of all the things to come out of his mouth in all the years they'd known one another, that was positively the last thing she would have ever expected to hear. With great effort, she kept her chin from dropping and willed her face to not look as shocked as she felt. She also swallowed back the smile that threatened to bloom as she realized he trusted her enough to admit such a thing to her.

Putting one hand over his heart and the other in his, she asked quietly, but supportively, "Of what, luv?"

"Of…" he paused and closed his eyes as he lowered his head and rested his forehead against hers. "Of losing everything again. Of things going back the way they were. Of losing you. Of fa…failing again. I don't know what to do to make sure that I…"

Hermione watched the tormented and ashamed face of the man she loved and her heart broke a bit for him. She slowly let go of his hand and reached up to rest her palm against his cheek as she stopped him.

"Draco, look at me," she whispered. When he did, she saw real fear in his eyes and wanted to cry for him. She said the first thing that came to mind, "Won't happen."

He looked away, "But, Hermione, what if…"

"Won't happen," she repeated with absolute conviction as she forced him to look at her once again.

He took a deep breath and nodded, even though she could tell he was far from convinced. She stepped back from him and took his hands in hers, "Draco, it was once said that the greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you'll make one. If you want to be active, you can't be afraid of going wrong. You can't be afraid of making mistakes now and then. Loads of people believe you become good just by doing no harm, but I don't think that's true. To be good is to want to be so; to try and do good; to try to be better each day. It's acting without hate in your heart, but with the best of intentions. But, Draco, to do nothing for fear of failing is the way to stagnation, mediocrity. And you, my love, are anything but mediocre."

He smiled a bit at her endearment and seemed to mull over her words before he nodded a bit. Then he looked down at her sadly as he asked, "When I think back on how I…"

"No," she shook her head and stepped forward to put her fingers over his lips. "No more of the past. From tonight on, we focus on what's coming, not what's been. The past can't be changed by our regrets, but the future can be shaped with our wants and wishes."

He smirked at her and asked, "Very philosophical. Who said that?"

Hermione grinned a bit, "Luna when Greg apologized to her yesterday for how he used to treat her."

He laughed and pulled her close again when she shivered from the night air. They stood quietly again each lost in thought.

A few minutes later, he leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. Then he said softly, "Thank you.'

In response, she tightened her arms around him and asked, "For what?"

"For loving me," he answered. Then he pulled back and lifted her chin, so she looked him in the eye when he added, "For liking me."

She smiled, but could think of nothing to say. Instead, she went up on her toes and placed a light kiss on his lips. When she pulled back she still saw worry lurking in his eyes. "You are going to be just fine, I promise you. I think your future is very bright and I look forward to seeing your many upcoming successes."

He smiled at her and moved a wayward curl off her cheek, "I love you, Hermione."

"And, I love you. You make me very happy, Mr. Malfoy."

He sighed happily, more at peace because he knew she believed in him. He leaned down and placed a slow, tender kiss on her soft lips, before he pulled back to look at her upturned face. "You have no idea how happy you make me, too, luv. I just hope to keep making you happy for a long time to come."

She smiled and snuggled back against his chest with a contented moan, "I think you will."

"I'll sure try," he said as he looked up and watched a falling star streak across the sky. He knew she'd seen it too, by the catch in her breath.

"Make a wish," she whispered.

"Why?"

It was her turn to shrug as she looked up at him and answered, "It's a silly muggle thing I guess, but if you wish on a falling star, your wish is supposed to come true."

He smiled at her and answered softly "I wish for us to be five times happier five years from now than we are tonight."

She giggled softly against his chest, "You're not supposed to tell your wish. It jinxes it."

He tilted her head up and leaned down until their lips were a breath apart. When their eyes met he smirked and repeated her earlier words, "Won't happen." Then he closed the distance.

xxxxxx

End of _**this**_ story... Coming soon – **Struggling Through Five Years Later**

Quotes used in part in this chapter:

If one wants to be active, one must not be afraid of going wrong, one must not be afraid of making mistakes now and then. Many people think that they will become good just by doing no harm -- but that's a lie.... That way lies stagnation, mediocrity. - Vincent Van Gogh, letter to Theo van Gogh, Oct. 1884

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one. - Elbert Hubbard (1856 - 1915)

When you make a mistake, don't look back at it long. Take the reason of the thing into your mind and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power. - Hugh White (1773 - 1840)

**Thank you for reading, HG4eva**


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